A People's History of Heaven: Blog tour post!

Here's my blog tour post for the PAPERBACK release of A People's History of Heaven!

A brief synopsis:

A pre-teen graffiti artist. A transgender Christian convert. A blind girl born to an orphan stricken by
pregnancy loss. A queer daughter of a hijabi union leader. These girls and women make up a small part of Heaven – eking out a modest existence from the scraps of the surrounding city, fiercely driven to protect themselves and each other from outside threats: those who cannot accept these women for being their true selves – queer, or transgender, or poor, or visually impaired. Subramanian peels back the layers of these interconnected stories with a tenderness that feels poignantly at odds with their daily reality: the silent, patient dedication with which the girls construct a barrier around their classroom, so they can focus on their learning, unmolested by rats. A group of children who collect bags of fragrant frangipani flowers for a poor young girl’s offering, so the gods will grant her the privilege of going to school. The daring and determination of a line of women and children facing down an approaching bulldozer, unwilling to step aside to allow for the destruction of their homes, their lives. 

Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

Subramanian conceived of the idea for this book during a two-year ethnographic study she conducted in Bangalore several years ago on a Fulbright Fellowship. She was there to study India’s free, public early childhood education centers, or anganwadis. What struck her, however, was the realization that these centers were the only spaces where poor women of all ages, castes, and faiths could gather in public. The women she met, and the stories they shared, became the inspiration for A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF HEAVEN.

My review:
A beautiful story that features a group of girls who live in a slum, which is called Heaven. I loved how the characters were diverse, but also were connected.

The themes in the book were well written, and there was many themes that underlied not just the characters, but the setting and circumstances each character faces. Some of the themes include poverty, access to education, love, marriage (and arranged marriage), community, and friendship.

There was ability rep (one character is blind, another has a hunched back from polio), queer+ rep (transgender main, queer+ main), different faith rep. I also loved how this book has a centric view on education and saving the slum from demolition.

Overall, a powerful book that everyone should read!

My rating: 4/5


About the author:

Mathangi Subramanian is an award-winning Indian American writer, author, and educator. She is a graduate of Brown University and the Teachers College of Columbia University, and the recipient of a Fulbright as well as other fellowships. Her writing has previously appeared in the Washington Post, Quartz, Al Jazeera America, and elsewhere. This is her first work of literary fiction.


Relevant links:
Goodreads | BookDepository