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These Heathens - by Mia McKenzie (Hardcover)

These Heathens - by  Mia McKenzie (Hardcover) - 1 of 1
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About this item

Highlights

  • In this vibrant, gratifying novel, a pious, small-town teenager travels to Atlanta to get an abortion and finds herself smack in the middle of the civil rights movement and the secret lives of queer Black people.
  • About the Author: 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.
  • 272 Pages
  • Fiction + Literature Genres, African American

Description



About the Book



"Where do you get an abortion in 1960 Georgia, especially if the town midwife goes to the same church as your parents? For seventeen-year-old Doris Steele, the answer is Atlanta, where her favorite teacher, Mrs. Lucas, calls upon her brash, wealthy childhood best friend, Sylvia, for help. While waiting to hear from the doctor who has agreed to do the procedure, Doris spends the weekend scandalized by, but 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. The young people Doris encounters are no less surprising. When he's not flirting too hard or talking too much, Sylvia's nephew, Dexter, brings Doris into the heart of Atlanta's civil rights movement, where some activists practice nonviolence to prepare for sit-ins, while others carry guns to protect Black families from the Klan. From the guests at a queer kickback to the student activists at a 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?"-- Provided by publisher.



Book Synopsis



In this vibrant, gratifying novel, a pious, small-town teenager travels to Atlanta to get an abortion and finds herself smack in the middle of the civil rights movement and the secret lives of queer Black people.

Where do you get an abortion in 1960 Georgia, especially if your small town's midwife goes to the same church as your parents? For seventeen-year-old Doris Steele, the answer is Atlanta, where her favorite teacher, Mrs. Lucas, calls upon her brash, wealthy childhood best friend, Sylvia, for help. While waiting to hear from the doctor who has agreed to do the procedure, Doris spends the weekend scandalized by, but 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, civil rights leaders such as Coretta Scott King and Diane Nash, women who dance close together, boys who flirt too hard and talk too much, atheists! And even more shocking? Mrs. Lucas seems right at home.

From the guests at a queer kickback to the student activists at a 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.



About the Author



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 family in Massachusetts.
Dimensions (Overall): 8.25 Inches (H) x 5.5 Inches (W) x .69 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.25 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: African American
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Number of Pages: 272
Publisher: Random House
Theme: Historical
Format: Hardcover
Author: Mia McKenzie
Language: English
Street Date: June 17, 2025
TCIN: 1002500260
UPC: 9780593596944
Item Number (DPCI): 247-49-6592
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 0.69 inches length x 5.5 inches width x 8.25 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.25 pounds
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