Bondi Literary Salon September Book Club: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

Join the Bondi Literary Salon for our September book club, hosted by Hannah Monaghan! In our gathering, we will be discussing James McBride's million-copy bestseller, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.

WHEN: Tuesday, 3rd September, 2024, at Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore, please arrive at 6.45pm for a prompt 7pm start.

TICKETS: Admission; $25.00 (excluding external fees). Your ticket includes a drink on arrival and nibbles during the evening.

From the bestselling, National Book Award-winning, Oprah Book Club-picked, Barack Obama favourite James McBride, a must-read novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them

About The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighbourhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows.

As the story moves back in time to the 1930s and the characters' stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community - heaven and earth - that sustain us.

About James McBride

James McBride is an author and musician based in New York. He is a former staff writer for the Washington Post and Boston Globe and the author of THE COLOR OF WATER, which reached the top of the New York Times bestseller list. 

About the Host - Hannah Mongahan

Hannah will read any book suggested to her, but to the chagrin of many, won’t always read it front to back. As soon as she was able to save any birthday money, the very first purchase she ever made aged eight was an armchair specifically to read in. Despite eventually misplacing every possession she’s ever owned, she’s never lost a book (yet!). A scientist by training she has a special affection for science fiction and high fantasy, but can be relied upon to give just about anything a go. And can always be relied on to have something to say about it!

About The Bondi Literary Salon

Bondi Literary Salon was established in 2018, it is the in-house book club of beloved Bondi institution, Gertrude & Alice. The Bondi Literary Salon endeavours to explore the vast world of literature each month, with a selection that reflects a focus on diverse writers and stories; delving into both classic and contemporary fiction, as well as non-fiction. 

Our philosophy has always been to use language and literature not only as a tool for connection and community, but as an insight into worlds we have not had the pleasure of visiting ourselves. We welcome all - young and old, those with a life-long love of literature, or whose relationship may be only beginning. Join us in the unmatched comfort of an after-hours bookstore, accompanied by wine and cheese, for an evening spent discussing books and building community.

About Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore

Rated as one of the top 10 bookstores in the world by National Geographic, Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore is an oasis for writers, readers, and coffee lovers. Books overflow from the shelves of their store, featuring a mix of new, second-hand, antiquarian and rare books. Stay a while & enjoy some home made chai, and amazing coffee, and unearth a book treasure or two. Read more about the bookstore's story here, and about the real Gertrude & Alice here.