Bestselling author James McBride kicks off 16th annual MorseLife Literary Society Series

The MorseLife Health System's 16th annual Literary Society Series kicked off Jan. 11 with National Book Award winner James McBride.

Speaking to a room filled with MorseLife supporters for the society's "Breakfast with the Authors" at The Colony Hotel, McBride shared insight into his best-selling novel "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store," along with a look at his writing process and inspiration.

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Released last year, the novel tells the story of Black and Jewish residents in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the 1920s and 1930s, as workers in 1972 seek to solve the mystery of a skeleton that is found at the bottom of a well.

"My job as a writer is to show you that decency exists — it's out there if you open yourself up to it," McBride said. "The truth is that everyone is trying to be happy, and sometimes it's important to forgive the past and move on, and sometimes it's important to teach the past."

McBride tied this into MorseLife's Holocaust Learning Experience, which he said is important "because it teaches the past, and only when the past is known can the future be."

Both the MorseLife Holocaust Learning Experience and "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store" highlight the importance of empathy when it comes to overcoming "historical and societal challenges," MorseLife President and CEO Keith Myers said.

"Teaching about tolerance and kindness plants the seed for a brighter future," Myers said. "Through educating about the Holocaust, MorseLife fosters a culture of just that — mirroring the themes in McBride's book, which explores the complexities of human experience and the importance of human compassion."

Cynthia Berenson, Penny Blumenstein and Marlene Strauss are the hosts for this year's Literary Society Series. For more than a decade, the Literary Society has hosted best-selling and award-winning authors to discuss their work and inspiration.

The next installment in the series will be Feb. 8, with author Abraham Verghese discussing his novel "The Covenant of Water," followed by writer Jeanette Walls on March 14 with her book "Hang the Moon."

The nonprofit MorseLife recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. It provides services for seniors including rehabilitation, long-term memory care, home health care and PACE, the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.

MorseLife Literary Society events are available by invitation. For more information, go to mlevents.org, email events@morselife.org or call 561-242-4661.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Author James McBride speaks to MorseLife Health System's literary group