A People's History of Heaven

A People's History of Heaven is a novel about friendship, strength, and a fight for home as a group of young women fight to defend the slum they live in. Heaven is a Bangalore slum scheduled for destruction, but for five girls on the cusp of adulthood, it is the place they have been and become themselves. Banu knows how to build and create beautiful things but isn't good at school, Padma wants to keep studying though first she needs to keep her mother in a job, Rukshana has carved out her version of womanhood and fell in a love with a girl in a tree, Joy isn't sure what the future holds for a transgender Christian convert, and Deepa dances better than the rest of them but is treated differently due to her blindness. Despite their various circumstances, families, and religions, the five are a tight knit group, and they're not going to let their home go without a fight.

The novel moves between their lives, past and present, using the first person plural to give a sense of their connectedness, an entity that celebrates one another and fights together. As much as it is about Heaven (the slum), it is also about how these girls have grown up and become who they are in that moment. The characters are vibrant and memorable, and Subramanian's writing really creates a vivid picture of them and their lives. It makes you constantly want to know more about these characters and what might happen to them beyond the confines of the novel, but also carefully weaves together the stories to build up the narrative.

A People's History of Heaven is a joyous and surprising novel that celebrates variation whilst not shying away from some of the realities that people face. It is the kind of book you can't help but recommend to people or give as a gift to someone looking for something new and fresh.

What a strange but good book. A stunning tale of the unconditional love between best friend
The author has an unusual but amazing writing style. Very poetic and descriptive
This book is powerful and uplifting. The storytelling is divine
I can’t wait for this authors next book

This is a gloriously inspiring, lyrical and poetic debut novel from Mathangi Subramanian of an almost completely female community, of discarded women, surviving hand to mouth on a daily basis, amidst the high rises of a Bangalore indifferent to their plight. Heaven is indeed a place on earth, perhaps a suprising one, teeming with poverty, repression and oppression. But look closer, for within the impoverished community is a joy, resilence, colour and vibrancy that will charm and endear itself to you. There are challenges and obstacles galore, such as the fight against a government and its bulldozers planning to raze down Heaven and replace it with a shopping mall, a fitting symbol of our rapacious consumerist world. Amidst a wide cast of characters, there is a focus on a group of incredible diverse young girls, their remarkable friendships, their unwavering support of and loyalty to each other. There is Deepu, the wonderful blind dancer, the transgender Joy, a recently arrived migrant to Heaven, Padma, the artist, Banu and still coming to terms with her sexuality, Rukshana. This is a beautifully written novel, where within poverty and squalor, shot through with dreams and hope that survive amongst everyday bleak realities. It speaks of mother-daughter relationships, the strength drawn from close supportive friendships, and the power of women in a world that deals them such poor cards in life. This is a fabulous read which I loved, just pure heaven! Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.

A fascinating view of a world that I'll never encounter - surely the very best basis for a book. This didn't disappoint. I loved the characters and the story and the sheer life the author brings to their prose. very much a recommendation from me.