Book Review: A People's History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian

 

Book: A People's History of Heaven 

Author: Mathangi Subramanian 

Pages: 304

Read: Hardcover edition 

Read in: 3-4 hours 

Plot Summary: Heaven is a thirty-year-old slum hidden between brand-new, high-rise apartment buildings and technology incubators in contemporary Bangalore. In this tight-knit community, five girls on the cusp of womanhood-a politically driven graffiti artist; a transgender Christian convert; a blind girl who loves to dance; and the queer daughter of a hijabi union leader-forge an unbreakable bond.

When the local government threatens to demolish their tin shacks in order to build a shopping mall, the girls and their mothers refuse to be erased. Together they wage war on the bulldozers sent to bury their homes, and, ultimately, on the city that wishes that families like them would remain hidden forever.

Elegant, poetic, and vibrant, A People's History of Heaven takes a clear-eyed look at adversity and geography and dazzles in its depiction of love and female friendship.  

Things I Liked:

1. The setting and premise of this book is very gritty and real, which makes it an interesting yet heartbreaking world to dive into. 'Heaven' or Swargahalli is a slum in one of Bangalore's posh areas and the core protagonists live here. The author does a stellar job of bringing the slum to life. The depiction is real and without sensationalism. The slum itself is a character in this book and we get to see it in different phases of its evolution- when it was just a bunch of tarp-covered structures to what it is now- a sprawling mini-neighbourhood of sorts. 

2. The heart of this book are the female characters. There are so many marvellous and beautifully-crafted female characters in this book! First, we have the five young girlfriends- Deepa, who is visually impaired, Padma, who is bright but has to fight tooth and nail to get the same education her brothers do, Banu- artistic, talented but struggles with formal education, Rukhsana, a tomboy with a tough exterior and Joy, a  trans girl, who is always unapologetically herself. We also learn of the stories of their mothers- their pasts, struggles, little victories and everyday survival stories. Each and every character in this book is so well crafted and will touch your heart. 

3. This book also looks at 'development' in the urban context- the migration of rural folk to cities and the rapid, unplanned and toxic growth of cities in the past decade. The author raises several valid questions about this type of mindless development (only infrastructural) without creating any spaces for these migrants to live in or enough infrastructure to cater to the schooling or other needs of their children.  

4. The sense of community in Heaven (the slum) is one of the most beautiful elements of this book. Women of all religions, castes, marital statuses live and work together to help each other like sisters. They look out for each others' kids, help when anyone needs anything and just are always there for each other through thick and thin. Even our five young girls are a unit and they always have each others' backs. It is such a beautiful thing to read about! 

Rating: 4/5 

Highly recommend this wonderful book!