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.