56 pages • 1 hour read
Angela JohnsonHeaven
Angela JohnsonFiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1998A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Authorial Context: Angela Johnson
An Ohio-based writer, Angela Johnson is known for her lyrical prose in her young adult novels. Heaven is celebrated as a thoughtful exploration of the complexities of family and identity through the eyes of its young protagonist, Marley. Johnson’s writing has become synonymous with the idea that young adults possess rich emotional landscapes that should be honored and explored.
Johnson’s books focus on Black protagonists, and in an interview with TeachingBooks, Johnson explains why she considers this to be one of the most important aspects of her writing. She asserts: “Even though I want this to be a universal experience, I love the idea that there is an African American child saying, ‘This belongs to me. Someone has recognized that kids who look like me are important and valid’” (“In-Depth Written Interview on Angela Johnson.” TeachingBooks, 2005). Johnson views her writing as a way to provide young Black readers with a positive mirror. However, she is careful not to rely on the idea that Black stories must focus on trauma. Although novels like Heaven explore complex themes that delve into challenging aspects of growing up, Johnson leavens her narratives with distinct moments of humor.
Despite her commitment to writing Black stories, Johnson notes that she believes her stories are universal. As she observes, “I believe we’re all connected. […] We’re all on this road together, bumping into each other […]. We have been thrown in this place […] This is a universal story” (“In-Depth Written Interview on Angela Johnson”). By designing stories that are meant to resonate with readers of all identities, Johnson comments on the themes of identity formation, family conflict, and coming of age, acknowledging that these life experiences are universal.
Series Context: Heaven Trilogy
Heaven is the first book in Johnson’s Heaven trilogy and a 1999 recipient of the Coretta Scott King award. Johnson admits that she almost did not write the trilogy at all, as for many years she believed, “I don’t do prequels; I don’t do sequels” (“In-Depth Written Interview With Angela Johnson”). Despite this, Johnson felt she had more to explore with some of the other important characters that appear in Heaven.
The other two books in the series—The First Part Last and Sweet, Hereafter—focus on the stories of Marley’s two best friends, Bobby and Shoogy, respectively. In Heaven, an important aspect of Marley’s friendships involves her understanding that she must not pressure either Shoogy or Bobby to share their pasts. She senses that they both prefer to leave aspects of their pasts behind and start fresh. In the subsequent novels of the Heaven trilogy, Johnson fully develops Bobby and Shoogy, answering some of the questions raised in the first novel of the series.
The second book in the trilogy, The First Part Last, tells the story of Bobby, a 16-year-old single father who is raising his baby daughter, Feather. He recently left behind his old life in Brooklyn, New York, after his girlfriend, Nia, succumbed to eclampsia during her pregnancy. In an author interview, Johnson reveals that she was inspired to write Bobby’s story after visiting New York City and encountering a teenaged boy on the train with a baby in the middle of the day. He captivated her, and she wondered about his life story. She says that after this moment, she “went back to the hotel and wrote three chapters of what became The First Part Last” (“In Depth Written Interview With Angela Johnson”). Like Heaven, The First Part Last addresses serious topics, and Bobby’s story focuses on the issue of teen pregnancy. Despite the gravity of the subject matter, Johnson emphasizes the importance of writing about heavy topics without becoming didactic. She makes it a point to honor the vulnerability and humanity of all her characters, emphasizing that they are imperfect people who must make difficult life decisions.
Thus, Johnson’s novels explore complex dilemmas that her teenage protagonists must tackle despite their young age. In the final novel in the trilogy, titled Sweet, Hereafter, Shoogy struggles to find her place in the world after her parents kick her out of their home. Johnson believes in writing truthful stories and showing both the positive and negative aspects of life, and this theme remains dominant throughout the Heaven trilogy as the characters navigate various challenges and support each other.
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