Literary Fiction · Free kit
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
In 1972, workers digging on Chicken Hill in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, find a skeleton at the bottom of a well — and a mezuzah that does not belong with a body. James McBride winds the story back to the 1920s and '30s, when Jewish immigrants and African Americans shared the hill, Moshe Ludlow booked jazz into his theater, and Chona Ludlow kept the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store open as the neighborhood's stubborn heartbeat. When the state comes for Dodo, a Deaf boy in Nate and Addie Timblin's care, the hill has to decide what a neighbor is worth. Funny, crowded, and unsparing about who America protects.
“To her, the world was not a china closet where you admire this and don't touch that. Rather, she saw it as a place where every act of living was a chance for tikkun olam, to improve the world.”
Complete free book club kit
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Plan your meeting
BookClubee take
Vibe check
Our editorial snapshot of how this book tends to land at club night — not a crowd average.
Craft
- Overall5
- Plot4
- Characters5
- World building5
- Ending4
How it feels
- Spice—
- Tears4
- Surprises4
- Humor4
- Comfort3
What’s in this kit
Everything below is free — open a section, use it at your meeting, or print what you need. No account required.
- Discussion Questions20 book-specific questions labeled warm-up, debate, and deep dive.
- Icebreakers15 fast warm-ups about the reader — not the plot.
- CharactersProfiles, dynamics map, and superlative awards.
- Trivia20 interactive questions from easy to hard.
- Would You Rather25 impossible choices inspired by the book.
- BingoPrintable book-club bingo for reading and live discussion.
- This or That40 rapid-fire choices plus a 60-second speed round.
- Speed DebatesPick a side and defend it against the clock.
- Hosting GuideShopping list, timeline, surprise touch, and wrap-up.
- PrintablesStickers, quote cards, invites, and review sheets.
How to run your meeting
1. Warm up
Start with icebreakers or a quick trivia round.
2. Discuss
Use the labeled discussion questions — warm-up to deep dive.
3. Play & wrap
Would You Rather, bingo, or a speed debate — then rate the book.
Frequently asked questions
Is this The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store book club kit free?+
Yes. Everything on this page is free — discussion questions, games, trivia, and hosting tips. No account required.
Does this kit spoil the book?+
Yes. Discussion questions, trivia, character material, superlatives, bingo, and debates assume you know the well, Pennhurst, Doc Roberts, Chona's death, Monkey Pants, the water job, and the South Carolina ending. Finish the novel first. Icebreakers are about the reader, not the plot. The book includes racial violence, the Ku Klux Klan, sexual assault, child abuse in an institution, ableism, and a child's institutionalization — give your group a content note, and skip or pause if anyone needs to.
What's in the Premium Kit?+
The Premium Kit on Etsy is the full printable pack: discussion guide, character cards, trivia, bingo, games, hosting checklist, and review sheets — ready to print for your meeting.
How long should our Heaven & Earth Grocery Store meeting run?+
Plan 75–80 minutes. This is a crowded, argumentative ensemble: 10 minutes of icebreakers, 10 minutes of trivia, 35 minutes of discussion (the store, Dodo, Doc, the well, and the ending will run long), 15 minutes of a speed debate or Would You Rather, then wrap-up. Use the Hosting Guide for a minute-by-minute outline.
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