Book Review: When Hoopoes go to Heaven

Kigalin kakkukauppa muuttaa (When Hoopoes go to Heaven)
by Gaile Parkin
translated to Finnish by Annukka Kolehmainen
Tammi 2013

 The book is a sequel to "Baking Cakes in Kigali" I haven't read.

It is year 2001. Benedict Tungazara is a 10-year old boy living in Swaziland with his siblings and grand parents called Baba & Mama. Benedict was originally from Tanzania but after his parents died he was adopted by Baba & Mama. Benedict's father was shot by a robber an mother died of undefined illness. Because of Baba's work the family has to move a lot. They first moved to Rwanda where Mama had a cake shop but moving to Swaziland was bad for cake business. 

Next door are living the Mazibukos: Jewish Rachel and his husband Enock with their adopted children. There is also a terminally ill cattle herder Petros who befriends with Benedict. Benedict likes observing nature and reading. He also wants to find King Solomon's treasure.

Mama's cake business is not going well in the new place and Benedict tries to help her. When Benedict finds a dead hoopoe bird he meets friendly people owning a funeral parlor and gets a coffin for the bird. He gets an idea to sell Mama's cakes for funerals.

The story is a slice of life tale in Africa depicting the daily life of Tungazara family and their friends. The viewpoint is mostly that of Benedict's who does not yet understand all the bad things going on the world. Occasionally the viewpoint is also that of Mavis, Mazibuko family's housekeeper, who lost her baby at birth. Mavis thinks Petros as her step-son. There are many characters whose life is touched by AIDS. The country has the worst statistics for HIV and also the rights of girls and women are weak.

But there are also many happy and funny moments such as Benedict misunderstanding something and Mama going to driving school. The style is a bit like Mma Ramotswe books (by Alexander McCall Smith) with a bit more serious edge.

Rating:Good