Contemporary Book Club: “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride – Monday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m. CHANGE IN VENUE: Old Stone Church East Haven (Fellowship Hall) 251 Main Street

Hagaman’s Contemporary Book Club will meet to discuss, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. To join the discussion, please contact Cynthia, Community Services Librarian & group facilitator, directly at either 203-468-3891 or [email protected].

In 1972, workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, discovered a skeleton in a well, uncovering long-held secrets about Chicken Hill, a neighborhood where Jewish immigrants and African Americans lived side by side. Moshe Ludlow, who integrated his theater, and his wife Chona, who ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, were key figures in the community. When the state sought to institutionalize a deaf boy, Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor and unofficial leader of the Black community, worked to protect him. As the story unfolds, McBride reveals the struggles of marginalized people and shows that love and community are what sustain them, even in dark times.

Join Hagaman Library’s Contemporary Book Club, which meets every other month on the third Monday at 3:00 p.m. The group is facilitated by Cynthia Gwiazda, Community Services Librarian. All are welcome to join! To join the discussion, contact Cynthia at 203-468-3891 or at: [email protected].

Please be advised that due to repairs being done at the library, this event will be taking place at the Old Stone Church (in the Fellowship Hall), 251 Main Street, East Haven.

Parking for this event is available in the Old Stone Church parking lot, the Hagaman Library parking lot, and in the Stop and Shop lot behind the library, accessible from Messina Drive.