Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Categories
Historical adventure fiction

THESE HEATHENS!

Mia McKenzie

THESE HEATHENS! is a vibrant and gratifying novel that follows a pious, small-town teenager who travels to get an abortion and finds herself in the middle of the civil rights movement, and the secret lives of queer Black people.

Seventeen-year-old pious Doris Steele find herself pregnant and in need of an abortion. Where is she to get an abortion, especially if the town midwife goes to the same church as her parents? The answer is Atlanta, a sprawling metropolis filled with wealthy black people and more culture and music than she's ever seen in her rural town. Begging her favorite teacher, Mrs. Lucas, for help, Mrs. Lucas calls upon Sylvia, her brash, wealthy childhood best friend to arrange a doctor for the procedure. While waiting to hear from the doctor who has agreed to do the procedure, Doris spends the weekend scandalized by, but also drawn to, the people who move in and out of Sylvia's orbit: celebrities whom Doris has seen in the pages of Jet and Ebony, political leaders like Coretta Scott King and Diane Nash, women who dance close together, atheists! And even more shocking? Mrs. Lucas seems right at home.

From the guests at a queer kickback to the student activists at an SNCC conference, Doris suddenly finds herself surrounded by so many people who seem to know exactly who or what they want. Doris knows she doesn't want a baby, but what does she want? Will this trip help her find out?

THESE HEATHENS! is a funny, poignant story about Black women's obligations and ambitions, what we owe to ourselves, and the transformative power of leaving your bubble, even for just one chaotic weekend.

Mia McKenzie is the two-time Lambda Award-winning author of THE SUMMER WE GOT FREE and SKYE FALLING, and the creator of Black Girl Dangerous Media, an independent media and education project that centers queer Black women and girls. She lives with her two children in the Happy Valley of Western Massachusetts.

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Book Published 2025-06-17 by Random House Hardcover

Comments

Propulsive [and] smart.

In this funny, poignant, and urgent tale, she shines a light on both the decisions womenparticularly Black womenget to make, and on their autonomy - not just over their bodies, but over their entire lives.

These Heathens is one of Harper's Bazaar's 21 Best Beach Reads! Read more...

Cheering Doris on through her life-changing weekend was one of my favorite reading experiences this year. I ate up the voice, the style, the story.

Page-turning, timely, and relentlessly entertaining, These Heathens reminds us that life is not only about what happens to you, it's also about what you choose and the people who help you along the way.

[A] heartfelt romp.

McKenzie's humorous historical novel reflects on what becomes possible when women can choose for themselves.

Bursting with heart and humor,?These Heathens?reflects powerfully on choice and chance,?while also being endlessly entertaining.

A whirlwind exploration of the activism, culture and myriad changes that characterized the early 1960s. Told through the simultaneously humorous and deeply personal voice of a small-town teenager, this novel captures society on the precipice of revolution. In her third novel, Mia McKenzie demonstrates her adeptness once again with endearing characters and a timely read.

This touching coming-of-age story tackles themes like identity, growth and power with razor-sharp wit and humor.

A quick, funny, heartwarming read . . . Doris gives voice and form to the unspoken realities of women all over the world. This novel will stay with me for a very long time.

A captivating historical novel full of humor and depth.

Deliciously Black and queer . . . You will absolutely want to read this.

A one-of-a-kind, urgently needed novel about choosing the life you want to lead . . . Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement and Atlanta's queer Black community, Mia McKenzie vividly depicts how Black women create circles of trust, freedom, and autonomy with one another.

McKenzie's novel crackles with energy, and her depiction of Black high society during a pivotal moment in American history has depth and vivacity.

This touching coming-of-age story tackles themes like identity, growth, and power with razor-sharp wit and humor.

A funny, sinful look at the Civil Rights Movement from a valuable queer perspective, and a glorious addition to the canon of resistance literature.

Mia McKenzie is a master of strong-willed, clear-voiced protagonists who, even when they go a bit wayward, remain so fun to root for.