What Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, by Dinaw Mengetsu

Reading Guide for Chapters 10-13 (pages 131-177)

Continue reading the novel and pay attention to how characters, places and events are described. Take notes on the following:

- the characters: appearance, emotions, actions

- the places: descriptions, how is a place connected with an action

- the plot, or the action of the novel

- what happens: how, why

- what do you think about what happens?

- do you disagree/agree with what a character says or does?

- what is the writer trying to tell us?

Answer these questions:

  1. Describe the nice evening Judith, Naomi and Sepha spend together.
  2. P. 131: Looking back, it’s possible to parcel our relationship out into distinct phases, the last of which began with that dinner. Explain.
  3. In all that Sepha is thinking about in Ch 11, it seems that he is seeing his life since coming to the US in 4 phases: arrival, becoming independent, giving up and changes. What are key events, incidents or relationships during each phase?
  4. How has Sepha seen Joseph and Kenneth change in the years that he has known them?
  5. Chapter 12 covers 2 days: the day after the dinner of Ch 11, and 2 days after the dinner. Describe the day after. What caused his change of heart 2 days after? How did he spend the day?
  6. How does he end the the 2nd day after the dinner? What brought about this change of heart?
  7. Ch 13: Sepha describes his delight in taking busses. What does he like about busses? Why does he like them so much? What does it make him think about?
  8. What does he have to say about Joseph? Why is Joseph important to talk about in this chapter?
  9. p. 173: “There is no denying now who we are and what we have become.” What have they become?
  10. p. 174: “I’m going back home.” Where? How? Why?
  11. In continuing the paragraph that begins with the line above on p 174, Sepha says

- I say the words…

- I understand now…

- I can remember…

- I can see all of that…

What is he talking about? Why are all of these images coming to his mind right now? What is going on with Sepha?

12. Finally, he says, “I never understood that until right now: that everything went with you.”(p. 177) What is “that” and what is “everything”?

In addition, write a response in which you address 3 of the items below:

  1. Personal connections or personal opinions based on what you read in the story.
  2. Here are ways you can begin “This reminds me of my …” “This reminds me of a time I….” “I think…”
  3. Here are some questions to think about:
  4. How was your experience the same?
  5. How was it different?
  6. What would you do if…?
  1. World connections, or cultural connections
  2. Here are ways you can begin “This reminds me of ….” “In my country…”
  3. Questions to think about:
  4. How was it the same?
  5. How was it different?
  1. Connections to other books, articles, movies
  2. Here are ways you can begin “I read a book (saw a movie, etc.) like this…”
  3. Questions to think about:
  4. How was it the same?
  5. How was it different?
  1. Sensory images: what you see, hear, smell, etc. in your mind as you read
  2. Here are ways you can begin “I see (smell, hear, taste)…” “I think (character) is…”
  3. Questions to think about:
  4. What does (character) look like?
  5. What do you see in this chapter?
  6. What does it (sound, taste, feel, smell) like?