Heaven

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of racist violence and self-harm.

Fourteen-year-old Marley describes her hometown of Heaven, Ohio in great detail, mentioning the precise number of steps it takes to get from her house to the Western Union, where she frequently goes to wire money to her Uncle Jack. Marley describes important landmarks such as Ma’s Superette, which is open 23-and-a-half hours per day. (During the brief break, Ma prays.) While Heaven might seem boring to many, Marley is fond of her town. However, this changes when she learns the real reason that she has been going to the Western Union all these years to wire money to her uncle.

Marley explains that she, Momma, Pops, and her brother Butchy moved to Heaven, Ohio, from California 12 years ago when her mother came across a postcard on a park bench that was postmarked “Heaven.” Marley recalls Momma’s belief that Heaven would be a small, quaint town that would be a good place to raise a family. Pops also wanted to move to Heaven because it had an accessible Western Union, which would make it easier to wire money to