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We Will Plant Birds of Paradise
Sometimes the only way to bloom is to break freeJess has always followed the rules—marrying young, raising two children, and keeping up appearances in her small, conservative town. But when she can no longer deny the truth she’s kept buried for years, she makes a life-altering she leaves her husband and admits what’s been growing in her heart—she’s in love with her best friend, Pam.
Jess works at her aunt Louanne’s beloved bakery café alongside Louanne’s longtime partner, Vivienne. In their open, joyful home, Jess catches a glimpse of what life could be honest, messy, full of flavor—and love. But Jess’s journey is far from simple. Her mother, Rebecca, clings fiercely to her religious convictions, shaped by Jess’s devout grandmother, who once lived as a nun. Coming out doesn’t just shake Jess’s world—it sends shockwaves through generations of silence, shame, and expectation.
As Jess steps into her truth, she faces a will she lose the people she loves most, or can something new—something extraordinary—take root in the aftermath?
Told through the voices of multiple generations, We Will Plant Birds of Paradise is a tender, richly drawn debut novel about queer love, family loyalty, inherited faith, and the radical act of blooming in your own time.
Praise for We Will Plant Birds of Paradise“An authentic and heartwarming portrayal of two people finding love—and themselves—later in life. This is the kind of cozy, queer representation that I crave! This book is like biting into a cinnamon roll; it's sweet, gooey, and warms you from the inside out.” —Adora Crooks, author of The Pink Lantern
“Genevieve Rheams’s pacy prose moves nimbly from humor to melancholy and back again. Filled with longing and light, We Will Plant Birds of Paradise is an enthralling novel about what it means to leave one life behind for another that awaits.” —Kevin Rabalais, author of The Landscape of Desire
Jess works at her aunt Louanne’s beloved bakery café alongside Louanne’s longtime partner, Vivienne. In their open, joyful home, Jess catches a glimpse of what life could be honest, messy, full of flavor—and love. But Jess’s journey is far from simple. Her mother, Rebecca, clings fiercely to her religious convictions, shaped by Jess’s devout grandmother, who once lived as a nun. Coming out doesn’t just shake Jess’s world—it sends shockwaves through generations of silence, shame, and expectation.
As Jess steps into her truth, she faces a will she lose the people she loves most, or can something new—something extraordinary—take root in the aftermath?
Told through the voices of multiple generations, We Will Plant Birds of Paradise is a tender, richly drawn debut novel about queer love, family loyalty, inherited faith, and the radical act of blooming in your own time.
Praise for We Will Plant Birds of Paradise“An authentic and heartwarming portrayal of two people finding love—and themselves—later in life. This is the kind of cozy, queer representation that I crave! This book is like biting into a cinnamon roll; it's sweet, gooey, and warms you from the inside out.” —Adora Crooks, author of The Pink Lantern
“Genevieve Rheams’s pacy prose moves nimbly from humor to melancholy and back again. Filled with longing and light, We Will Plant Birds of Paradise is an enthralling novel about what it means to leave one life behind for another that awaits.” —Kevin Rabalais, author of The Landscape of Desire
198 pages, Paperback
Published August 23, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 10, 2025
A delight to read! This does not read like a debut—this author has complete control of character, scene, and pacing.
This book is a necessary part of the cannon because it’s so unapologetically queer. Much will be written about how the author addresses things like blending families, young children’s questions, and one’s own questioning in adulthood.
Two, maybe less noticeable, plot devise stuck out to me. (I think these points are important when talking about queer literature. These points aren’t necessarily queer, but that’s what makes queer literature so wonderful to read.)
1. the very specific family dynamics. This isn’t just run of the mill disfunction; this is over involvement to the extreme. Though, maybe I’m taking up for my mom and MIL’s own involvement in me and my husband’s life—how are you not supposed to mother when you’ve been raising your kid’s spouse for nearly as long as your own kid? To add to the hilarity of the situation, Jess’s mom inserts herself into Alan’s life after knowing him for over 20 years, but she also happens to be his ex-mother in law now. Whoops.
2. Jess’s very specific style of people pleasing. At one point in the book, Pam points out that Jess’s only style in her house are pictures of other people. “Just like me!” I thought as I read this, not anticipating what will come next. Pam points out that she sees this as Jess’s style defined by others: the presence of others, her place in relationship to others, memories with others. I don’t take this as a critique like others might—family and community are two of my biggest values, and showing those off are important to me. But, it called to mind the other things that illustrate that: how many hand me downs of furniture and clothes I have, the leftovers I keep in the freezer, the brands I buy. How much of that is a lack of personal style, choice, and opinion or a lack of definition of self?
The biggest win of this book is the author’s ability to not frame this as a critique, but as a new way of thinking about things. I’m so grateful for this point of view because it makes me think about something I’ve never seen before. And isn’t that the whole point of reading, after all?
This book is a necessary part of the cannon because it’s so unapologetically queer. Much will be written about how the author addresses things like blending families, young children’s questions, and one’s own questioning in adulthood.
Two, maybe less noticeable, plot devise stuck out to me. (I think these points are important when talking about queer literature. These points aren’t necessarily queer, but that’s what makes queer literature so wonderful to read.)
1. the very specific family dynamics. This isn’t just run of the mill disfunction; this is over involvement to the extreme. Though, maybe I’m taking up for my mom and MIL’s own involvement in me and my husband’s life—how are you not supposed to mother when you’ve been raising your kid’s spouse for nearly as long as your own kid? To add to the hilarity of the situation, Jess’s mom inserts herself into Alan’s life after knowing him for over 20 years, but she also happens to be his ex-mother in law now. Whoops.
2. Jess’s very specific style of people pleasing. At one point in the book, Pam points out that Jess’s only style in her house are pictures of other people. “Just like me!” I thought as I read this, not anticipating what will come next. Pam points out that she sees this as Jess’s style defined by others: the presence of others, her place in relationship to others, memories with others. I don’t take this as a critique like others might—family and community are two of my biggest values, and showing those off are important to me. But, it called to mind the other things that illustrate that: how many hand me downs of furniture and clothes I have, the leftovers I keep in the freezer, the brands I buy. How much of that is a lack of personal style, choice, and opinion or a lack of definition of self?
The biggest win of this book is the author’s ability to not frame this as a critique, but as a new way of thinking about things. I’m so grateful for this point of view because it makes me think about something I’ve never seen before. And isn’t that the whole point of reading, after all?
September 24, 2025
Heartwarming, authentic, and beautifully written! I'm in love with each one of these characters, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
November 12, 2025
This book is set before COVID and although it’s a family drama about one family navigating a new family dynamic, it is warm and hopeful. It was a pleasure to read. There are distinct well-drawn characters and family dynamics and interactions.
It seems to start off with a romance, but then veers into a family drama. The romance is just a good, solid romance that only uplifts and supports Jess and then moves to the background of the plot. There’s no romantic drama, miscommunications or misunderstandings. Jess and Pam communicate like adults in a good relationship. The plot is driven by other people trying to figure out how Jess’s revelation impacts them or their family dynamic because Jess’s mom (the matriarch) is judgmental and homophobic.
It’s not easy or perfect or even 100% happily ever after for everyone, but the story of a woman navigating her changing relationship with her parents, ex-husband, and kids (particularly one very well drawn young boy who gets a few of his own chapters) after she comes out and starts a relationship with her best friend was a great escape from our current 2025 reality.
It seems to start off with a romance, but then veers into a family drama. The romance is just a good, solid romance that only uplifts and supports Jess and then moves to the background of the plot. There’s no romantic drama, miscommunications or misunderstandings. Jess and Pam communicate like adults in a good relationship. The plot is driven by other people trying to figure out how Jess’s revelation impacts them or their family dynamic because Jess’s mom (the matriarch) is judgmental and homophobic.
It’s not easy or perfect or even 100% happily ever after for everyone, but the story of a woman navigating her changing relationship with her parents, ex-husband, and kids (particularly one very well drawn young boy who gets a few of his own chapters) after she comes out and starts a relationship with her best friend was a great escape from our current 2025 reality.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews