Jews and Blacks live semi-harmoniously in this
semi-voluminous cast of characters. In
fact, at times I had to remind myself who was Jewish and who was Black, and if
I couldn’t remember, then it just didn’t really matter. This amalgamation of ethnicities occupy
Chicken Hill, a section of Pottstown, PA, in the 1930s, along with the usual
bigots. The intricate plot at times bogs
down but ultimately revolves around Dodo, a Black teenager who lost his hearing
in a home explosion. The neighborhood
bands together to hide Dodo from the authorities who want to confine him to a
huge mental institution where abuse is rampant.
Moshe and Chona, who own the title establishment, shoulder most of the
responsibility for keeping Dodo safe, but he is the nephew of Nate and
Addie. These four are the heart and soul
of the novel. The final section of the
book covers two overlapping schemes, one of which requires more moving parts
than I could fathom ever being successful.
This book also has a number of side plots whose relevance is not obvious
until the finale, and McBride makes sure that all of his puzzle pieces fit
together in the end. Although obviously
focused on community and connection, the book opens with an unidentified
skeleton whose story eventually unfolds.
McBride also throws in a sprinkling of disabilities. Aside from Dodo’s deafness, a number of
characters seem to have foot problems, giving a pair of shoemakers some bit
parts in this story, and Chona has one leg shorter than the other. I’m not sure what the point is, except to
demonstrate more fully what a blended community could look like. There are definitely some evil dudes here,
but kindness and acceptance prevail.
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