How does Marley's understanding of the Maple family change over time? Why do you think Shoogy dislikes her family so much? Why does she cut herself? What is behind Mrs.

Do you agree? If someone lies to you, can you ever believe him or her again? Are all lies bad? Should some be forgiven?

'Maybe the one big lie makes everything a lie,' Marley says to Pops.

What do they reveal about the dreamers? How do they shape the tone of this novel? Discuss the importance of dreams in Heaven.

This novel begins with the story of a dream, and many other dreams are described during its course.

'The past,' she says, 'doesn't always make sense of the present.' What does she mean by that? Do you agree that it's true for all the characters in this novel? For example, does Jack's past help explain his present way of life?

Marley doesn't ask her friends about their past.

Do you think he made a more responsible decision than Jack? Why or why not?

Unlike Jack, Bobby is raising his child by himself.

Why do you think he drifts around the country? Why does he always name his dogs 'Boy'? What are his hopes? What are his fears? Explore the character of Jack, the man Marley thought was her uncle.What is heavenly about the place? What isn't? What mood does the author establish by choosing Heaven as the name for Marley's hometown and as the title for this novel? Would you want to live in Heaven, Ohio? Why or why not? Marley lives in the town of Heaven, Ohio.

Sparely written and achingly felt, this richly acclaimed novel, as Booklist observes, 'Makes us see the power of loving kindness.' Suddenly, in Marley's eyes anyway, Momma and Pops are liars, wandering Uncle Jack is a greater mystery than ever, and Marley is desperate to make sense of what it means to be a family. But her life is upended one day when a letter arrives from a little church in Alabama. She has parents who love her, friends who support her, and even a mysterious uncle who sends her the most wonderful notes. What happens when you discover that you aren't who you always thought you were? In this lyrical novel, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, fourteen-year-old Marley lives in a small Ohio town called Heaven.

Heaven by angela johnson