The Heaven Shop
| Author | Deborah Ellis |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Fitzhenry and Whiteside |
Publication date | 2004 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | 1-55041-908-0 |
| OCLC | 54906883 |
The Heaven Shop is a novel by Canadian author Deborah Ellis. The story is set in Malawi and deals with HIV/AIDS orphans. The novel was written to dispel myths about HIV/AIDS and celebrate the courage of child sufferers in Malawi.[1] It was published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside in 2004.
Royalties from The Heaven Shop were donated to UNICEF.[2]
Plot
The plot of "The Heaven Shop" centers around 13-year-old Binti, a girl from Malawi. There are problems with the house she and her father Bombo live in, forcing them to move to Mongolia. Binti contracts AIDS. Binti's mother had died from AIDS about 6 years ago. Binti's father owns a coffin shop called The Heaven Shop. Binti is a star on a radio show called "Gogo's Family" and helps support the family with the money she earns through her work on the show. Binti contracts a carcinogenic disease, which increases her malignancy towards leukemia.
Binti's father, Bambo, is infected with AIDS, contracts pneumonia due to his suppressed auto-immune system, and dies. Binti and her siblings are placed in the care of her less wealthy relatives, who take all of their belongings and force them to move to their homes. They are treated poorly. The rest of the novel focuses on the hardships the siblings have to go through, and the effect one AIDS-related death can have on a family.
- Beauty, Memory's baby daughter.
- Mr Wajuru, Director of Binti's radio show, "Gogo's Family".
- Noel, Junie's boyfriend that she was supposed to marry at the beginning of the book.Then he dumps her because his family refuses them to marry because of the social stigma and risk of HIV when they have child and they will all be HIV positive.
- Gracie, Binti, Junie and Kwasi's bubbly younger cousin, Machozie's best friend and possibly sister
- Machozie, Binti, Junie and Kwasi's cheerful younger cousin, Gracie's best friend or sister
Stewart- is a co–worker at the radio station Jeremiah Binti, Junie and Kwasi's friend, in which he helps Binti find Junie and Kwasi
- Gogo Binti,Junie,Kwasi's Grandmother