These Heathens

Mia McKenzie's These Heathens was my perfect start-of-summer read this year. And it may very well be my favorite read of this summer, even though I'll be going through lots of books in the next few months.

These Heathens is set in Georgia in 1960: in the small town where Doris, the central character, lives and in Atlanta, where she travels to end a pregnancy accompanied by one of her former teachers. The "former" here is important. Doris left school a year of two ago because she was needed at home. Her mother has been facing a debilitating illness and Doris, the oldest, has to take on caring for her two younger brothers, along with cooking and cleaning and all the work that keeps a family functioning. Doris comes from a church-going show more family and is a firm believer. Much of her day is shaped by the "rules" her faith has given her to live by.

But when Doris realizes she's pregnant, she's certain that Jesus doesn't want her to become a mother.
Doris turns to the most trusted adult in her life who is not affiliated with her family's church: her former teacher Mrs. Lucas. Mrs. Lucas promises she will help and arranges through a childhood friend to bring Doris to Atlanta for an abortion.

It's at this point that things begin to get complicated. Doris is meeting people unlike any she's known. These are city people with incomes well beyond those earned by the Black folk living in her home town. There's Mrs. Lucas' childhood friend, who appears to prefer women over men. Doris has been warned about the dangers of inversion, but she is every bit as fascinated as she is perturbed. And she also meets several young men who are introduce her to SNCC, sit-ins, and even a bit of the Nation of Islam. She's also meeting people she's only read about in Jet or Ebony: the Kings, Bayard Rustin, and Black entertainers.

Watching Doris, who is our narrator, enter these new worlds, explain them to herself, and make her own way through them is a delight. As a sampling:

• On the possible futures—all involving marriage—for young women in her home town: "Even if you had better-than-middling luck, the best you could expect to get was a good, dumb one. Or you might land a handsome but evil somebody. Or a smart one with a face like a possum's ass. Or worse, a face like a possum's face. And, depending on what any particular woman liked, and of those options might be fine. But none of them would be something to get your ass beat or let your mascara run over in the street."

• On fashion among Atlanta's Black upper class: "her hair was pressed straighter than the righteous path to Jesus" and "a fur stole so luxurious, looked like the mink wasn't all the way dead yet."

• A Prayer: "Jesus, my Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, please keep her talking long enough for me to hear about some of the wicked things women do in bed together. Amen"

• Look toward the future: "I had so many questions—about theater and sex and Negroes living in France.

And there's the novel's opening line: "One things needs clearing up right off: Reverend King was not the father. That was a rumor, started by crazy people and repeated by heathens."

Track down a copy of this book. Read it. I'm confident These Heathens will wind up on your list of favorites.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. show less

A young black woman in rural Georgia in 1960 finds herself in need of an abortion. Taken to Atlanta by a trusted teacher, she finds herself smack in the middle of the civil rights movement. I loved this book; the protagonist is well fleshed out, and while she can’t fully control her circumstances, she has great agency. It’s rather sex-positive—the author doesn’t dwell on the how of the pregnancy—and the queer content comes from an unexpected place. It’s not the protagonist but the environment she is a part of in Atlanta. No spoilers! But it’s great. CW: references to rape, racism.

A gloriously funny civil-rights-era bildungsroman, with a hilarious, witty, irrepressible protagonist that it is a delight to follow. This was a great story and a fascinating, unique take (including queer perspectives) on an eventful period of time.

I love books that are inspired by the author's family and this one is based on the author's grandmother. The protagonist, Doris Steele, is a teenager who finds herself pregnant but doesn't feel she can raise and support a baby at this time. She finds other women with means who help and support her through the journey, not only of getting an abortion, but finding out who she is and what she wants out of life. Doris initially turns to her teacher, Mrs. Lucas, and together they travel from rural Georgia to Atlanta in 1960. In Atlanta, Doris has many experiences that expand her understanding of people outside of her immediate family. She sees the preparations for sit-ins, meets Dr. King, and gets to hang out with some amazing characters who show more unfortunately have to hid their true selves from the world. Doris has a weekend that completely changes her perspective and alters the course of her life.
There were times in the story where I laughed, gasped, and shook my head at decisions, but in the end, I am so glad to have read this book. It shows how one person can make a difference in someone else's life. It showed that we can learn to find our path once we find our people who support and nurture the friendships. If you like historical fiction that tells human stories with heart and character, I highly recommend this book!!
#TheseHeathens #NetGalley
Thank you Penguin Random House and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own. show less

In rural Georgia in 1960, a poor, Black pregnant girl didn’t have a lot of choices, but Doris is determined to try, so she seeks out her old teacher, Mrs. Lucas. Together, they travel to Mrs. Lucas' hometown of Atlanta, where her wealthy and somewhat famous group of friends work to find Doris an abortion. These Heathens by Mia McKenzie may be a bit unpolished and implausible at times, but it tells an entertaining story about a life-changing weekend in Atlanta for Doris. This coming-of-age novel about religion, sexuality, and finding yourself is a solid choice for readers who enjoy historical fiction and social justice themes.

I couldn't put this down. So full of heart and love and joy and wit, despite the difficult circumstances the protagonist finds herself in (being a pregnant Black teenager in the Jim Crow South).

Implausible but interesting. Reads like a YA novel.