This book was particularly interesting to me personally. It takes place around the time I was born, & the setting is very familiar- both my parents & my aunt owned grocery stores when I was a child, & I grew up running around in them & in the neighborhood (albeit in Baltimore, not Brooklyn).
The book is good reading & thought-provoking, but the end just... If this way a movie you would understand that they were setting you up for the sequel. I mean, there is an end, but it comes suddenly, leaving you a bit open-mouthed, wondering... now what? I would love to read what Malamud had to say about this story, why he wrote it, what it meant to him.

Released on Thursday, November 20, 2003 at Breakfast in America, 17 rue des Ecoles in Paris 5ème, Ile de France France.

Going to leave this book at my favorite diner in Paris, "Breakfast in America". The owner, Craig is a great guy, formerly a filmmaker from LA (nobody's perfect). If you go in, say hello from Uri, the lighting guy.
---------------------
Just got back from town, this book may or may not still be there as Sierra, the lovely young woman waitressing there expressed some interest in it. Sierra, if you read this, hope you'll forgive my hutzpah.
Footnote- do girls from Indiana know what hutzpah is?