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These Heathens
From the “razor-sharp and outrageously funny” (Taylor Jenkins Reid) mind of Mia McKenzie comes a vibrant novel exploring how one weekend can change your whole life.
Dear Lord, please forgive me for the sins I’ve committed. And for the one I’m still planning to commit tomorrow. Amen.
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 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 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.
Dear Lord, please forgive me for the sins I’ve committed. And for the one I’m still planning to commit tomorrow. Amen.
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 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 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.
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First published June 17, 2025
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About the author
Mia McKenzie
6 books538 followersMia McKenzie is the award-winning author of The Summer We Got Free 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 parenting partner and two children in the Happy Valley of Western Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 576 reviews
April 4, 2025
There is a lot to love in We Heathens, set in 1960s Georgia. Mia McKenzie captures the voice of Doris, her protagonist beautifully as a young woman who rarely gets to make decisions for herself and when a beloved teacher takes Doris to Atlanta for an abortion, she starts to realize she can make her world bigger on her own terms if only she will allow herself. What I really enjoyed was how much this novel centered women in a time when women’s choices were often constrained by so many factors beyond their control. There is a depth of character to the principals that makes it easy to lose yourself in these words. There are a few places where the plot thins in frustrating ways but that doesn’t at all diminish the excellence of the novel. It’s also deliciously Black and queer so you will absolutely want to read this.
June 10, 2025
I thought this book was a totally sweet work on historical fiction. It was very intro to civil rights movement and queer communities at the time. I do wish it had been a little more complex or nuanced in that area. I liked the premise and the characters and was happy I read it. Also, it reads so fast I flew through it.
November 23, 2025
4.5⭐️
THIS!!🙌🏾🙌🏾
Poor Doris finds herself pregnant in her small “everybody knows everybody” rural town in Georgia. There’s no way she can go to a midwife there because everyone will find out. So she travels to Atlanta to have an abortion. While there, she learns that there is a world that clashes with her super religious upbringing. Who knew all of this was happening only 3 hours away from home??
Doris learns about love (in more ways than one) as well as her place and purpose in the world.
I have never read a book like this before.
So much humor, so much history, so much foolishness!!😂
Doris will live rent free in my head for years to come.
THIS is what I wanted from Harlem Rhapsody. A history lesson without feeling like one. Highly recommending this one!
Doris learns about love (in more ways than one) as well as her place and purpose in the world.
I have never read a book like this before.
So much humor, so much history, so much foolishness!!😂
Doris will live rent free in my head for years to come.
THIS is what I wanted from Harlem Rhapsody. A history lesson without feeling like one. Highly recommending this one!
June 12, 2025
The Summer We Got Free is one of the very few fiction books that has been on my shelf for well over a decade, I don't keep fiction books once I'm done reading them unless I have particularly strong feelings about them. So yeah, you can imagine my excitement when I saw that McKenzie was making a detour into historical fiction.
Doris is one of these characters that's easier to root for than she is to like, not that she's unlikeable, she's just a tad on the annoying side a lot of the time. She's a kid from a rural town and she's religious, she can't help being what she is, on the cusp of adulthood in some ways and a fairly quick study maybe but a kid still. Yet, it was interesting to see the world through her eyes, to share in her awakening to a larger world than she had known. Growth is messy and when you add an unwanted pregnancy and people who are trying, however clumsily, to help while having their own issues it gets even messier what it never gets though is boring.
Through her story we get to explore a sliver of the civil rights movement and the very human nature of the people who were part of it and I really enjoyed that approach and the centering of someone who would have normally been at best a peripheral figure.
McKenzie's writing style isn't very flowery but it's very honest which really suits this kind of coming-of-age stories.
I was hooked from beginning to end and I was almost sad when it ended, I actually wanted to spend more time with the more grown Doris.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book for review consideration.
Doris is one of these characters that's easier to root for than she is to like, not that she's unlikeable, she's just a tad on the annoying side a lot of the time. She's a kid from a rural town and she's religious, she can't help being what she is, on the cusp of adulthood in some ways and a fairly quick study maybe but a kid still. Yet, it was interesting to see the world through her eyes, to share in her awakening to a larger world than she had known. Growth is messy and when you add an unwanted pregnancy and people who are trying, however clumsily, to help while having their own issues it gets even messier what it never gets though is boring.
Through her story we get to explore a sliver of the civil rights movement and the very human nature of the people who were part of it and I really enjoyed that approach and the centering of someone who would have normally been at best a peripheral figure.
McKenzie's writing style isn't very flowery but it's very honest which really suits this kind of coming-of-age stories.
I was hooked from beginning to end and I was almost sad when it ended, I actually wanted to spend more time with the more grown Doris.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book for review consideration.
August 12, 2025
Pre-Read Notes:
I have no idea what to expect going in I chose this one for cover and title, as I sometimes do and have always done. What a delight waited for me here, from the first brilliant sentence.
"One thing needs clearing up right off: Reverend King was not the father." p1
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) This book grabbed me right at the opening line. I just knew with that (quoted above), I was in for an entertaining read. I was definitely right. I adore the protagonist, a 16-year-old girl who finds herself pregnant, needing help, and with extended family members she hardly knows, in Atlanta and looking for solutions.
But it's not just the story of a teenage girl dealing with an unwanted pregnancy, it's about all the ways she discovers who she is and where she belongs by taking that journey. A gorgeous, fraught story of coming of age-- now a favorite example in a favorite genre for me. This character is scared but dignified. She speaks her mind but is not immune to growth. She is blunt and unrehearsed but she is deep down a romantic. What a brilliant journey she took me on.
This book manages to handle multiple issues of social justice with style and a forthrightness, through the fmc, that I really admire. I like when speakers speak plainly and writers write plainly. I love when I know exactly what a writer is trying to say. And I got that from this book. A stimulating and thought-provoking read.
I recommend THESE HEATHENS to anyone interested in racial history of the US, especially its southern states, fans of historical fiction, readers who want to read more diversely, readers of feminist women's fiction, and to fans of unexpected coming of age dramas.
My 2 Favorite Things:
✔️ I love the narrating character, how much she finds everything repulsive and yet how quiet and acquiescent she seemed. Her development comes from encountering other characters, each of whom she measure against her Christian values, all while she seeks an abortion, illegal in most southern states at the time of this telling. The irony is thick like butter.
✔️ This book deftly juggles multiple important themes, like civil rights conflict for Black people and queer people in the sixties, women's reproductive rights, and colorism. Wow I'm just stunned by this book.
Notes:
1. content notes: racism, racial violence, white supremacy, KKK, N-word, animal cruelty (reference to), anti-queer religious statements, pregnancy, abortion, marriage of convenience
Thank you to author Mia McKenzie, Random House, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THESE HEATHENS. All views are mine.
I have no idea what to expect going in I chose this one for cover and title, as I sometimes do and have always done. What a delight waited for me here, from the first brilliant sentence.
"One thing needs clearing up right off: Reverend King was not the father." p1
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) This book grabbed me right at the opening line. I just knew with that (quoted above), I was in for an entertaining read. I was definitely right. I adore the protagonist, a 16-year-old girl who finds herself pregnant, needing help, and with extended family members she hardly knows, in Atlanta and looking for solutions.
But it's not just the story of a teenage girl dealing with an unwanted pregnancy, it's about all the ways she discovers who she is and where she belongs by taking that journey. A gorgeous, fraught story of coming of age-- now a favorite example in a favorite genre for me. This character is scared but dignified. She speaks her mind but is not immune to growth. She is blunt and unrehearsed but she is deep down a romantic. What a brilliant journey she took me on.
This book manages to handle multiple issues of social justice with style and a forthrightness, through the fmc, that I really admire. I like when speakers speak plainly and writers write plainly. I love when I know exactly what a writer is trying to say. And I got that from this book. A stimulating and thought-provoking read.
I recommend THESE HEATHENS to anyone interested in racial history of the US, especially its southern states, fans of historical fiction, readers who want to read more diversely, readers of feminist women's fiction, and to fans of unexpected coming of age dramas.
My 2 Favorite Things:
✔️ I love the narrating character, how much she finds everything repulsive and yet how quiet and acquiescent she seemed. Her development comes from encountering other characters, each of whom she measure against her Christian values, all while she seeks an abortion, illegal in most southern states at the time of this telling. The irony is thick like butter.
✔️ This book deftly juggles multiple important themes, like civil rights conflict for Black people and queer people in the sixties, women's reproductive rights, and colorism. Wow I'm just stunned by this book.
Notes:
1. content notes: racism, racial violence, white supremacy, KKK, N-word, animal cruelty (reference to), anti-queer religious statements, pregnancy, abortion, marriage of convenience
Thank you to author Mia McKenzie, Random House, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THESE HEATHENS. All views are mine.
June 20, 2025
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 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.
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 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.
May 4, 2025
3.5 stars. In some ways a classic coming-of-age story, in other ways a totally new spin. The chief pleasure here is Doris's first person voice, the specificity of her good church girl instincts mixed with her personal willingness to accept people. This often puts her in a situation where she is not sure what to think or how to act, but that is what powers the best coming-of-age stories, the conflict between the known and the new.
Doris was enough to drive me through this story quickly, but it does feel a bit like McKenzie has stacked too much into this girl's day. Doris should get a nap! I never actually mapped it out but by the time we've reached mid-afternoon I didn't know how they hadn't already gone through three-days'-worth of time.
Doris was enough to drive me through this story quickly, but it does feel a bit like McKenzie has stacked too much into this girl's day. Doris should get a nap! I never actually mapped it out but by the time we've reached mid-afternoon I didn't know how they hadn't already gone through three-days'-worth of time.
May 14, 2025
Doris is pregnant, poor and a teenage caretaker for her family after her mother falls ill. She finds herself pregnant and goes to her favorite teacher for help. Her teacher is from Atlanta and has always showed Doris a special kindness. It is arranged that Doris will go with the teacher to Atlanta to get an abortion. They go to Atlanta where Doris sees wealthy Black people (a first for her), along with Civil Rights activists (also new to Doris). While on this trip, she learns more about her teacher and her teacher’s friends. The idea here was a good one, but I found the execution to be clunky and the story to be a little unbelievable. Doris’ teacher ends up telling Doris all of this personal information, but there was no foundation for all of this sharing from teacher down to student. There were a lot of characters, but none of them were developed in a way that you cared about them. I had high hopes for this book, but it did not work for me. Obviously, I am in the minority here.
July 29, 2025
5 stars. Absolutely incredible and so timely right now. 🎧
June 21, 2025
These Heathens is a masterful, hilarious story about religion, self discovery, and making the best choice for yourself even when you've been conditioned to distrust your mind, intuition, and desires. When 17 year old Doris becomes pregnant in 1960s small town Georgia, her journey to Atlanta for a safe place to get an abortion results in a weekend spent learning about the world outside of her sheltered existence. Among the quietly-guarded yet publicly-facing civil rights activists, speakers, and thought leaders of that time hides a thriving queer community in plain sight. They live artistic, full lives, free from the burden that religion has placed on Doris' shoulders her entire life, and among this band of "heathens" she begins to see her situation less as a sin that she should be forever shamed for, and more as an opportunity to learn to live life on her terms.
One of my favorite parts of this story was Doris' narrative voice. Even though she is still a child, she has been parentified by her parents and siblings, after stepping up after her mother falls ill. It felt like she was participating in adult experiences but through a childlike gaze, rarely having agency over herself, her body, or actions. Like many other girls in this era, she's been conditioned to believe that she exists for the benefit of her family, and, eventually, to be second to a man for the rest of her life. Even though Doris was immature, she slowly becomes a woman over this extended weekend, daring to do things she'd never do back home. Under the supervision of her favorite and most trusted teacher from high school, Doris encounters a lively queer community Doris had no idea her beloved teacher was part of.
I really love historical fiction that folds important icons and figures from Black history into the narrative, but something about the way the Kings were written here felt authentic to how they are always depicted in media and uniquely beautiful at the same time. Here we get to hear about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King's true progressivism that isn't part of the mainstream historical recounting of their existence, especially as it pertains to reproductive choice and maintaining close relationships with queer members of society.
This was beautifully-written, and though the pacing lagged in the third quarter of the novel, the end more than made up for it.
4.75 ⭐️s
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
One of my favorite parts of this story was Doris' narrative voice. Even though she is still a child, she has been parentified by her parents and siblings, after stepping up after her mother falls ill. It felt like she was participating in adult experiences but through a childlike gaze, rarely having agency over herself, her body, or actions. Like many other girls in this era, she's been conditioned to believe that she exists for the benefit of her family, and, eventually, to be second to a man for the rest of her life. Even though Doris was immature, she slowly becomes a woman over this extended weekend, daring to do things she'd never do back home. Under the supervision of her favorite and most trusted teacher from high school, Doris encounters a lively queer community Doris had no idea her beloved teacher was part of.
I really love historical fiction that folds important icons and figures from Black history into the narrative, but something about the way the Kings were written here felt authentic to how they are always depicted in media and uniquely beautiful at the same time. Here we get to hear about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King's true progressivism that isn't part of the mainstream historical recounting of their existence, especially as it pertains to reproductive choice and maintaining close relationships with queer members of society.
This was beautifully-written, and though the pacing lagged in the third quarter of the novel, the end more than made up for it.
4.75 ⭐️s
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
November 18, 2025
4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.
“There’s nothing better for keeping you ignorant about sex than spending a lot of time in church.”
I enjoyed every page of this story about a 17 year old sheltered black girl growing up in the rural southeast in 1960, whose life is changed by spending one weekend in Atlanta. There she has her first introduction to feminism, the LGBTQ community and atheism which leads to introspection regarding her preconceived notions.
“I’d be lying if I said I liked my life, but no colored girl in rural Georgia could say that in 1960. She either had it real bad or she had it okay, and I had it okay, right on. So, I thanked God every chance I got and didn’t waste time dreaming.”
The writing is filled with humor which had me laughing and reading aloud passages to my spouse. While historical figures like MLK Jr. make brief appearances, the heroine is the true standout. Her realistic and sincere inner dialogue fosters a quick attachment for the reader. For a relatively short book, there is a tremendous amount of character growth. This is one of my favorite novels that I have ever read set during the Jim Crow era, and not one I will soon forget.
“But she was Southern, and if we know how to do anything, it’s be hospitable, even while secretly wishing you’d turn around and take your ass on home.”
-----
First Sentence: One thing needs clearing up right off: Reverend King was not the father.
Favorite Quote: But I’d been raised on shame, gorged and fattened on it, like all the girls around me.
“There’s nothing better for keeping you ignorant about sex than spending a lot of time in church.”
I enjoyed every page of this story about a 17 year old sheltered black girl growing up in the rural southeast in 1960, whose life is changed by spending one weekend in Atlanta. There she has her first introduction to feminism, the LGBTQ community and atheism which leads to introspection regarding her preconceived notions.
“I’d be lying if I said I liked my life, but no colored girl in rural Georgia could say that in 1960. She either had it real bad or she had it okay, and I had it okay, right on. So, I thanked God every chance I got and didn’t waste time dreaming.”
The writing is filled with humor which had me laughing and reading aloud passages to my spouse. While historical figures like MLK Jr. make brief appearances, the heroine is the true standout. Her realistic and sincere inner dialogue fosters a quick attachment for the reader. For a relatively short book, there is a tremendous amount of character growth. This is one of my favorite novels that I have ever read set during the Jim Crow era, and not one I will soon forget.
“But she was Southern, and if we know how to do anything, it’s be hospitable, even while secretly wishing you’d turn around and take your ass on home.”
-----
First Sentence: One thing needs clearing up right off: Reverend King was not the father.
Favorite Quote: But I’d been raised on shame, gorged and fattened on it, like all the girls around me.
September 3, 2025
I love historical fiction and some mess. This hit the spot! Doris took us on a ride in that one little weekend! She had me laughing the entire time or shaking my head. Baby, she was all up in everyone’s business but she sure kept her mouth shut when it came to hers. Because why are we not talking about your little situation more, Little Miss Holier Than Thou?! Anyway shout to Mrs. Lucas. I loved her character for so many reasons and you’ll have to read it to find out because I’m not spoiling it for you. Shout out to Sylvia too… I guess. 😅 Whew that lady was a piece of work. I just loved the way McKenzie wrote these characters (major and minor.) I absolutely think you should read to find out about their shenanigans, growth, and love stories!
Rounded up from 4.5 stars
Rounded up from 4.5 stars
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December 23, 2025
A pregnant Black teenager in small-town Georgia desperate for an abortion leans on her English teacher, and takes a Forrest Gump-esque weekend journey to Atlanta, where she rubs elbows with high Black society, including MLK Jr. She also goes to several civil rights' conventions, is invited to the Atlanta sit-ins, bumps into a clandestine meeting between Black Muslim leaders and the Klan, attends a queer house party, questions her sexuality, meets two boys, interferes with 30-year old lesbians and their messy relationships (love it), and a whole bunch more.
Okay that was a shitty summary of this really heartwarming and fun book. Yes, I said FUN. Doris is getting an abortion, not ending her life, but she goes through SO MANY culture shocks, turning from an open-minded-for-a-small-town-Christian into something so much more.
I adored how McKenzie captured the mentality of a teenager. Doris is very much a teen. A bit self-righteous, a little hypocritical, a lot all-knowing. But with so much heart and wanting to find herself and get out of her small town. She wants MORE for herself, and is so smart.
Throughout it all, it's about Black women supporting other Black women, and the community they create. And, of course, a lovely look at queer Black life in 1960 Atlanta.
Anywho, I enjoyed it a lot.
If you enjoyed Harlem Rhapsody and Woodworking, I think you'd like this too.
Okay that was a shitty summary of this really heartwarming and fun book. Yes, I said FUN. Doris is getting an abortion, not ending her life, but she goes through SO MANY culture shocks, turning from an open-minded-for-a-small-town-Christian into something so much more.
I adored how McKenzie captured the mentality of a teenager. Doris is very much a teen. A bit self-righteous, a little hypocritical, a lot all-knowing. But with so much heart and wanting to find herself and get out of her small town. She wants MORE for herself, and is so smart.
Throughout it all, it's about Black women supporting other Black women, and the community they create. And, of course, a lovely look at queer Black life in 1960 Atlanta.
Anywho, I enjoyed it a lot.
If you enjoyed Harlem Rhapsody and Woodworking, I think you'd like this too.
March 8, 2025
These Heathens had me laughing, highlighting every other page, and by the last chapter—wiping tears from my face.
This book flows. The writing is sharp, immersive, and effortlessly character-driven. We follow Doris, a 17-year-old girl trying to get an abortion in 1960 Georgia, as she lands in Atlanta and gets swept up in a weekend that changes everything. What starts as a desperate attempt to make a private choice turns into an eye-opening journey through the civil rights movement, radical politics, queer Black life, and the weight of unlearning everything you’ve been taught.
I did not expect this book to be as funny as it was. The way McKenzie balances deeply serious themes—race, gender, sexuality, religion, activism—with humor and razor-sharp wit is pure artistry. The historical backdrop isn’t just scenery; it’s alive and woven seamlessly into Doris’s story. Nothing feels forced, yet every moment is deliberate.
Yes, there are some loose ends, but that’s the beauty of a character-driven novel—this is about Doris becoming, not wrapping things up neatly. My only regret? I devoured it too fast.
And the writing? Unbelievable. One of my favorite lines:
“Most colored girls have more voices telling them what they can’t do than what they can. A lot of those voices speak in the name of love or what they believe is love. And maybe it is love. But there is a whole heap of fear piled up on top of it, too.”
How have I never read Mia McKenzie’s work before? I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of These Heathens from Random House, and trust me—you don’t want to miss this one. Expected to drop in June 2025, this is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction that moves you, that makes you feel. If you love books about self-discovery, about Black women finding their voices, about the power of stepping outside your bubble—These Heathens is for you.
Don’t just add it to your TBR. Preorder it. Now.
This book flows. The writing is sharp, immersive, and effortlessly character-driven. We follow Doris, a 17-year-old girl trying to get an abortion in 1960 Georgia, as she lands in Atlanta and gets swept up in a weekend that changes everything. What starts as a desperate attempt to make a private choice turns into an eye-opening journey through the civil rights movement, radical politics, queer Black life, and the weight of unlearning everything you’ve been taught.
I did not expect this book to be as funny as it was. The way McKenzie balances deeply serious themes—race, gender, sexuality, religion, activism—with humor and razor-sharp wit is pure artistry. The historical backdrop isn’t just scenery; it’s alive and woven seamlessly into Doris’s story. Nothing feels forced, yet every moment is deliberate.
Yes, there are some loose ends, but that’s the beauty of a character-driven novel—this is about Doris becoming, not wrapping things up neatly. My only regret? I devoured it too fast.
And the writing? Unbelievable. One of my favorite lines:
“Most colored girls have more voices telling them what they can’t do than what they can. A lot of those voices speak in the name of love or what they believe is love. And maybe it is love. But there is a whole heap of fear piled up on top of it, too.”
How have I never read Mia McKenzie’s work before? I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of These Heathens from Random House, and trust me—you don’t want to miss this one. Expected to drop in June 2025, this is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction that moves you, that makes you feel. If you love books about self-discovery, about Black women finding their voices, about the power of stepping outside your bubble—These Heathens is for you.
Don’t just add it to your TBR. Preorder it. Now.
April 17, 2025
What a surprising delight. Using her grandmother's life for a template, Mia McKenzie tells a story of Doris, a pious, naive girl in rural Georgia in 1960 who finds herself saddled with an unwanted pregnancy. She finds a way to Atlanta to settle the problem, encountering some interesting people that open her eyes to the real world. A bit of a controversy in how that problem is solved, but overall this was so enjoyable and I couldn't help but admire Doris's turn of phrase ("...nary a one of them could've poured piss out a boot, even if the instructions were written on the heel.")
December 23, 2025
This was excellent; it made me think, which (let's be honest) I need sometimes.
It's 1960 in Georgia. Doris has had to grow up quickly and leave school to care for her younger brothers after her mother became ill. But now she's 17 and she needs an abortion. As a young, poor Black girl in Georgia, her options are limited. She turns to her only advocate, her former teacher, Mrs. Lucas, who in turn, asks her own friend, Sylvia, a wealthy woman in Atlanta.
What follows is one weekend in Doris' life as she and Mrs. Lucas travel to Atlanta. There the entire world opens up before Doris, as she gets to see the life of the wealthy Black Sylvia and her family. She meets racial advocates (Coretta Scott King stops by!) and boys her own age who are participating in the sit-ins gaining momentum across the country.
It's amazing how much this book packs in over a weekend. It explores so many deep topics through Doris' eyes, including sexual orientation, race, and the power of god versus family. And, of course, abortion. This is a novel that will make you think and reflect on how our past has shaped the present.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House in return for an unbiased review.
It's 1960 in Georgia. Doris has had to grow up quickly and leave school to care for her younger brothers after her mother became ill. But now she's 17 and she needs an abortion. As a young, poor Black girl in Georgia, her options are limited. She turns to her only advocate, her former teacher, Mrs. Lucas, who in turn, asks her own friend, Sylvia, a wealthy woman in Atlanta.
What follows is one weekend in Doris' life as she and Mrs. Lucas travel to Atlanta. There the entire world opens up before Doris, as she gets to see the life of the wealthy Black Sylvia and her family. She meets racial advocates (Coretta Scott King stops by!) and boys her own age who are participating in the sit-ins gaining momentum across the country.
It's amazing how much this book packs in over a weekend. It explores so many deep topics through Doris' eyes, including sexual orientation, race, and the power of god versus family. And, of course, abortion. This is a novel that will make you think and reflect on how our past has shaped the present.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House in return for an unbiased review.
July 22, 2025
Set in 1960s Georgia, Doris finds herself pregnant. She wants an abortion, but given the time and the fact that she’s Black, reliable healthcare is hard to come by. A beloved (former) teacher, Mrs. Lucas, takes her to Atlanta where she has friends willing and able to help.
What initially drew me to the story was the idea of a young, poor Black teenage girl in need of an abortion and how she was going to access that. Given the recent reversal of Roe v Wade, it felt timely - in a different way.
While this was also a very basic introduction to the Civil Rights Movement and queer history (which I can appreciate), what didn’t work so well for me was the amount of convenient plot points to move the story along. Coretta Scott King just happened to be one of the side characters main friends, along with a famous singer from that era. Also, the book took place over the course of one weekend and the amount of things the author covered just felt unrealistic to me.
Overall, this one lacked substance for me. Topics stayed surface level vs a real nuanced look at society’s rules, expectations, and mores of the time. I think there was a general lack of focus - where it felt like the author was throwing the whole kitchen sink at us - and had she picked one topic to really dive into and explore, I believe it would have worked a lot better for me.
What initially drew me to the story was the idea of a young, poor Black teenage girl in need of an abortion and how she was going to access that. Given the recent reversal of Roe v Wade, it felt timely - in a different way.
While this was also a very basic introduction to the Civil Rights Movement and queer history (which I can appreciate), what didn’t work so well for me was the amount of convenient plot points to move the story along. Coretta Scott King just happened to be one of the side characters main friends, along with a famous singer from that era. Also, the book took place over the course of one weekend and the amount of things the author covered just felt unrealistic to me.
Overall, this one lacked substance for me. Topics stayed surface level vs a real nuanced look at society’s rules, expectations, and mores of the time. I think there was a general lack of focus - where it felt like the author was throwing the whole kitchen sink at us - and had she picked one topic to really dive into and explore, I believe it would have worked a lot better for me.
July 3, 2025
4.25 Stars ✨
Hahahaha — These Heathens is a laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story! Doris has officially become one of my favorite characters 😂😂😂. There’s a surprisingly humorous juxtaposition between her devout church upbringing and her needing an abortion at 17 — the author really played this up throughout the book, which I enjoyed!
Set in 1960s Georgia, the book weaves in elements of the civil rights movement seamlessly, grounding Doris’s personal journey within a broader social context. I appreciated the nuanced conversations around choice, queerness, and the societal expectations placed on Black women. The pacing is brisk, and the story never overstays its welcome.
I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Bahni Turpin — she is Doris. I don’t think I’ve laughed out loud this much while reading in a long time. Absolutely worth picking up! While our FMC is 17, this is written in a way that everyone can enjoy it!
Hahahaha — These Heathens is a laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story! Doris has officially become one of my favorite characters 😂😂😂. There’s a surprisingly humorous juxtaposition between her devout church upbringing and her needing an abortion at 17 — the author really played this up throughout the book, which I enjoyed!
Set in 1960s Georgia, the book weaves in elements of the civil rights movement seamlessly, grounding Doris’s personal journey within a broader social context. I appreciated the nuanced conversations around choice, queerness, and the societal expectations placed on Black women. The pacing is brisk, and the story never overstays its welcome.
I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Bahni Turpin — she is Doris. I don’t think I’ve laughed out loud this much while reading in a long time. Absolutely worth picking up! While our FMC is 17, this is written in a way that everyone can enjoy it!
December 22, 2025
"These Heathens" explores the sensitive topics of abortion, lesbianism, and the civil rights movement circa 1960 through the experiences of its main character, Doris. Doris is a 17 year old, black girl who lives in rural Georgia. She has been forced to drop out of school (which she loved) to take care of her disabled mother and to look after her two young brothers. Soon after the story begins, Doris discovers that she is pregnant.
Doris and her family are devout Christians and Doris believes that abortion would be a sin. Still, she cannot see herself becoming a mother. She decides to get an abortion, which seems impossible in 1960. The story unfolds from there. Doris' decision takes her to Atlanta, where she is exposed to both lesbian society and the wave of sit-ins that are taking place in the South to integrate lunch counters.
The best part of the book is Doris' liveliness, curiosity and spunk. She can be quite funny, too.
3.8 stars
Doris and her family are devout Christians and Doris believes that abortion would be a sin. Still, she cannot see herself becoming a mother. She decides to get an abortion, which seems impossible in 1960. The story unfolds from there. Doris' decision takes her to Atlanta, where she is exposed to both lesbian society and the wave of sit-ins that are taking place in the South to integrate lunch counters.
The best part of the book is Doris' liveliness, curiosity and spunk. She can be quite funny, too.
3.8 stars
December 11, 2025
oh i loved this actually
December 15, 2025
maybe a 2.5. i just don't know what this was trying to be
June 16, 2025
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie. Thanks to @randomhouse for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When seventeen year old Doris Steele becomes pregnant, she knows she can’t see the town midwife to take care of it. Instead she turns to her favorite teacher, who brings her to Atlanta and introduces her to a weekend she’s never experienced.
Taking place over a single weekend, this is a short story but with a powerful punch. Anyone who enjoys coming of age stories will like this one. It includes a lot about black women’s reproductive and queer rights, in a time when they lacked most rights. Doris is introduced to a new urban and activist world and becomes all the better for it. I loved how fiction blended with history, as many important historical figures and events are woven into the story.
“Almost nothing in this world belongs to us, but our desires are ours and we ought not have to explain them to everybody all the damn time.”
These Heathens comes out 6/17.
When seventeen year old Doris Steele becomes pregnant, she knows she can’t see the town midwife to take care of it. Instead she turns to her favorite teacher, who brings her to Atlanta and introduces her to a weekend she’s never experienced.
Taking place over a single weekend, this is a short story but with a powerful punch. Anyone who enjoys coming of age stories will like this one. It includes a lot about black women’s reproductive and queer rights, in a time when they lacked most rights. Doris is introduced to a new urban and activist world and becomes all the better for it. I loved how fiction blended with history, as many important historical figures and events are woven into the story.
“Almost nothing in this world belongs to us, but our desires are ours and we ought not have to explain them to everybody all the damn time.”
These Heathens comes out 6/17.
August 9, 2025
My enjoyment was more like 2 stars, but I will give it 3. There are just many things here that are not-for-me: well trod historical ground, realism, light on character, not especially subtle messaging.
Doris is an entertaining POV because she’s observes with distance and simplicity. She’s often unintentionally funny in the process.
But I found the whirlwind tour of 60s Black activism shallow and strange. It’s all over a weekend in an unbelievable rapid sequence of events to get Doris in so many different spaces. It reads more like a thought experiment, but it engages with all the topics so briefly and without much subtlety. Points for willingness to portray King *that* way. 👀
Doris is an entertaining POV because she’s observes with distance and simplicity. She’s often unintentionally funny in the process.
But I found the whirlwind tour of 60s Black activism shallow and strange. It’s all over a weekend in an unbelievable rapid sequence of events to get Doris in so many different spaces. It reads more like a thought experiment, but it engages with all the topics so briefly and without much subtlety. Points for willingness to portray King *that* way. 👀
June 29, 2025
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this advance copy!
This is an incredible novel of a black woman in 1960s Georgia who wants an abortion. Her search for an abortion takes her to Atlanta for a wild weekend, where she ends up in the path of the Kings, the Klan, and a variety of queer people striving to live. I loved how real Doris felt, how unsure she was about her life, but how sure she was about her needs and choices. Doris is handling so much in her life and while she might have been mature in all parts of her life, she shows incredible maturity in knowing what she doesn't want. The other characters float in and out of the story at just the right time. At times it felt like too many characters, but the author does a great job of keeping the story going at a good pace. This novel apologized for nothing and is better for it.
This is an incredible novel of a black woman in 1960s Georgia who wants an abortion. Her search for an abortion takes her to Atlanta for a wild weekend, where she ends up in the path of the Kings, the Klan, and a variety of queer people striving to live. I loved how real Doris felt, how unsure she was about her life, but how sure she was about her needs and choices. Doris is handling so much in her life and while she might have been mature in all parts of her life, she shows incredible maturity in knowing what she doesn't want. The other characters float in and out of the story at just the right time. At times it felt like too many characters, but the author does a great job of keeping the story going at a good pace. This novel apologized for nothing and is better for it.
July 21, 2025
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Mia McKenzie has TRULY done it again!!! I cannot recommend this lady’s work enough. Skye Falling still has the top spot in my heart, but I really appreciate how McKenzie approaches historical fiction, too.
Her irreverent, nuanced approach to these stories brings the honesty they deserve, without prioritizing levity over accuracy. If you liked how Victoria Christopher Murray let W.E.B. DuBois be the cheating narcissist he really was in Harlem Rhapsody, you will love Mia McKenzie’s tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Black political figures in These Heathens. While there is some namedropping, it never feels overdone, and I think that’s a credit to how well she fleshes out the story’s main characters, none of whom are particularly (in)famous. McKenzie has a great eye for the sorts of conversations, mannerisms, and opinions that will help her characters shine on the page. It was a delight to sit with these people in their dining rooms, and eavesdrop in their bedrooms. I say this to say that while it’s funny seeing MLK try to slide his number to a young lady over a plate of ribs, it's much more interesting to see our core characters exchange their various takes on integration at the time. McKenzie’s framing offers a helpful reminder that no one was ever “all in favor” of anything in the past, and she resurfaces some fringe opinions that aren’t always discussed in our memory of these movements.
The core of this novel, though, comes from our delightful protagonist, Doris. This girl has a memorable narrative voice that draws you in to every turn of phrase she uses. There is other great dialogue in this book, like Sylvia and Dexter’s back and forth jabs, but our main girl just takes the cake. Part of the enjoyment is not just with what Doris says to others, but also with how she makes sense of her growing exposure to the world. As she and Mrs. Lucas travel through Atlanta, Doris is taking each new piece of information and holding it up against what she’s been told by her parents, pastors, and others in her hometown. So few of us ever get this space to question our upbringings and parents’ beliefs, particularly so early on in life. It’s a true gift to see Doris receive this open room to question the world, and come to her own conclusions about everything from sexuality to political defense. I particularly loved her conclusions about how she’s not losing God, but instead finding “a more interesting one” (212). This, my friends, is the true benefit of deconstruction!!!
I’ll end by saying I loved the “all in a day” nature of this book. I think it allowed us to jump through major topics and themes (and cameos) without anything feeling too precious—Doris is just casually seeing what Atlanta might have had to offer on a random Saturday. This “breezing through a single weekend” approach also help McKenzie to gracefully land on these powerful reflections on the power of choices and desire. Doris and many of the other characters are just learning that it’s okay to pursue a certain path in life simply because you want to—like that can be enough. Speaking of pursuing a certain path, I must say that I am VERY GLAD that McKenzie didn’t force a certain duo together…and that another duo was able to rekindle their friendship. We need more of the lesbians to remain FRIENDS!!!!
Mia McKenzie has TRULY done it again!!! I cannot recommend this lady’s work enough. Skye Falling still has the top spot in my heart, but I really appreciate how McKenzie approaches historical fiction, too.
Her irreverent, nuanced approach to these stories brings the honesty they deserve, without prioritizing levity over accuracy. If you liked how Victoria Christopher Murray let W.E.B. DuBois be the cheating narcissist he really was in Harlem Rhapsody, you will love Mia McKenzie’s tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Black political figures in These Heathens. While there is some namedropping, it never feels overdone, and I think that’s a credit to how well she fleshes out the story’s main characters, none of whom are particularly (in)famous. McKenzie has a great eye for the sorts of conversations, mannerisms, and opinions that will help her characters shine on the page. It was a delight to sit with these people in their dining rooms, and eavesdrop in their bedrooms. I say this to say that while it’s funny seeing MLK try to slide his number to a young lady over a plate of ribs, it's much more interesting to see our core characters exchange their various takes on integration at the time. McKenzie’s framing offers a helpful reminder that no one was ever “all in favor” of anything in the past, and she resurfaces some fringe opinions that aren’t always discussed in our memory of these movements.
The core of this novel, though, comes from our delightful protagonist, Doris. This girl has a memorable narrative voice that draws you in to every turn of phrase she uses. There is other great dialogue in this book, like Sylvia and Dexter’s back and forth jabs, but our main girl just takes the cake. Part of the enjoyment is not just with what Doris says to others, but also with how she makes sense of her growing exposure to the world. As she and Mrs. Lucas travel through Atlanta, Doris is taking each new piece of information and holding it up against what she’s been told by her parents, pastors, and others in her hometown. So few of us ever get this space to question our upbringings and parents’ beliefs, particularly so early on in life. It’s a true gift to see Doris receive this open room to question the world, and come to her own conclusions about everything from sexuality to political defense. I particularly loved her conclusions about how she’s not losing God, but instead finding “a more interesting one” (212). This, my friends, is the true benefit of deconstruction!!!
I’ll end by saying I loved the “all in a day” nature of this book. I think it allowed us to jump through major topics and themes (and cameos) without anything feeling too precious—Doris is just casually seeing what Atlanta might have had to offer on a random Saturday. This “breezing through a single weekend” approach also help McKenzie to gracefully land on these powerful reflections on the power of choices and desire. Doris and many of the other characters are just learning that it’s okay to pursue a certain path in life simply because you want to—like that can be enough. Speaking of pursuing a certain path, I must say that I am VERY GLAD that McKenzie didn’t force a certain duo together…and that another duo was able to rekindle their friendship. We need more of the lesbians to remain FRIENDS!!!!
June 17, 2025
4.5 🌟
I wasn't sure what to expect from Mia McKenzie's These Heathens, but wow - I loved this book! It's a coming-of-age tale that explores themes of abortion, civil rights, and the Black queer community. Even with these heavy topics, it doesn't feel bogged down and heavy. McKenzie has a way of writing that makes you feel like you're right there with Doris as she grapples with what she wants out of life and how that aligns with or diverges from the religious mold she was taught. It's simply a beautiful story.
I'm only sad it wasn't longer. I would absolutely read a sequel that revisits Doris as an adult.
Recommended for readers of historical fiction who enjoy Black LGBT+ representation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Mia McKenzie's These Heathens, but wow - I loved this book! It's a coming-of-age tale that explores themes of abortion, civil rights, and the Black queer community. Even with these heavy topics, it doesn't feel bogged down and heavy. McKenzie has a way of writing that makes you feel like you're right there with Doris as she grapples with what she wants out of life and how that aligns with or diverges from the religious mold she was taught. It's simply a beautiful story.
I'm only sad it wasn't longer. I would absolutely read a sequel that revisits Doris as an adult.
Recommended for readers of historical fiction who enjoy Black LGBT+ representation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.
December 23, 2025
Happy pub day to These Heathens by Mia McKenzie! [And a big thank you to PRHaudio and RandomHouse for my copies—I read this in both print and audio formats, which was the perfect way to devour this story.]
Mia McKenzie does it again. These Heathens is sharp, funny, and full of heart. I fell in love with Doris—her voice, her curiosity, her honesty. Even with heavy themes like reproductive rights and identity, this story moves fast and hits deep. Unexpected in the best way. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
Thank you to Random House and PRH audio for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Mia McKenzie does it again. These Heathens is sharp, funny, and full of heart. I fell in love with Doris—her voice, her curiosity, her honesty. Even with heavy themes like reproductive rights and identity, this story moves fast and hits deep. Unexpected in the best way. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
Thank you to Random House and PRH audio for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 30, 2025
This experience was different from what I had anticipated. I might give it another read later on because I think it deserves a second chance. Unfortunately, I just didn’t feel a strong connection with the story this time around. I found it a bit hard to stay focused, and my mind kept wandering. Perhaps I missed something during my little breaks, but it wasn't quite a five-star read for me. Looking forward to seeing if my perspective changes on a second try!
September 7, 2025
Absolutely LOVED reading this book!
I laughed out loud often and really enjoyed the dialogue + inner voice of Doris. She was a phenomenal main character. Her development throughout the story really shined. And to think the story takes place over one eventful weekend!
Any book that features Black historical figures is a plus. Not to mention, the conversations around religion, abortion and homosexuality. I felt the author approached the topics with a humor and lightheartedness that still conveyed a sense of thoughtfulness that I don’t see in many historical fiction novels.
I highlighted so many quotes throughout reading and would recommend this book to anyone! It would also make an excellent book club pick!
I laughed out loud often and really enjoyed the dialogue + inner voice of Doris. She was a phenomenal main character. Her development throughout the story really shined. And to think the story takes place over one eventful weekend!
Any book that features Black historical figures is a plus. Not to mention, the conversations around religion, abortion and homosexuality. I felt the author approached the topics with a humor and lightheartedness that still conveyed a sense of thoughtfulness that I don’t see in many historical fiction novels.
I highlighted so many quotes throughout reading and would recommend this book to anyone! It would also make an excellent book club pick!
December 12, 2025
3.5 stars | This coming of age story follows Doris a religious 17-year girl from a small town in rural Georgia. She finds herself pregnant and is seeking out an abortion. She is quite conservative and judgy despite her circumstance. On this mission, we encounter themes of patriarchy, sexual exploration, civil disobedience, and social disparity. Doris’ world view and belief in what opportunities are possible for herself expand as a result of one weekend in Atlanta.
The audiobook narration was well done. Doris and her inner dialogue are both hilarious and controversial. The host of characters we meet are dynamic and representative of the time. The cameos from Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott, however, were a bit extra.
The audiobook narration was well done. Doris and her inner dialogue are both hilarious and controversial. The host of characters we meet are dynamic and representative of the time. The cameos from Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott, however, were a bit extra.
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