A moving coming of age story set in 1960s Georgia that sees a young rural Black girl pregnant with a baby she doesn't want and who goes to Atlanta in search of an abortion. While there she meets an older lesbian woman AND Martin Luther King plus finds herself falling in love.

This had a great cast of memorable characters and strong Black women supporting one another and the freedom for women to have control over their own bodies. We need more books like this one in my opinion, now more than ever as women's rights continue to be taken away.

Great on audio narrated by Bahni Turpin and just an overall FANTASTIC read. Highly recommended for fans of books like The girls who grew big. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: June 17, 2025

I personally have a hard time when books have a lot of descriptions. It feels like the story becomes bogged down for me as a reader.

This was an unexpectedly enjoyable, although the cover made me think it might not be all that interesting. Others might really like it but for me, it was one of those cases where one should never judge a book by its cover. Because I was absolutely not bored by this book. Doris is the voice of the narrator and main protagonist, who has dutifully swallowed her dreams of going to college, dropping out of school (even though she's the top student) to take care of her family in place of her sick mother. Even as she buries her dreams of becoming a writer deep down to do her duty, it's still a life she can picture--until she accidentally becomes pregnant. Scared, and knowing her parents will make her have the baby, she reaches out to her favorite teacher for help.

Without going too much into detail, she ends up traveling to Atlanta with her teacher and there she learns about women who have found a way to create options where none existed before. As a black girl in the 60s, she has even fewer options than white women, and yet, her weekend in Atlanta opens her eyes to other things.

I thought this book did a good job of introducing one to the civil rights era, to a time when black people had very few rights and opportunities, and black women even less so. As for the queer community, they had to be even more careful, finding persecution in most spaces. While the author didn't dive deeply into all of this, she did a great job of telling this girl's story and helping us to see with her own eyes what she had often been sheltered from in her small town. I loved seeing MLK Jr, Coretta Scott King, Coretta's fictional cousin Julia Avery (popular musician), the SNCC and some of the nonviolent workshops through Doris' eyes.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent novel and I look forward to reading other books by the author.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book sparked my interest from the Modern Mrs. Darcy's summer reading guide. I thought for sure at the beginning this would be a 5 start read for, however it really lived in the "and space" for me. I enjoyed the character development, the character relationships, the historical aspects of it, however there was a lot that I didn't care for (bodily fluid - puke, one graphic scene near the end). I did listen to a few chapters on audiobook and the narrator is 5 stars, fantastic voice for Doris.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received an ARC of These Heathens by Mia McKenzie via NetGalley. Many thanks to Random House for approving my request.

Seventeen year old Doris goes to Atlanta for an abortion and gains a lot of perspective in Mia McKenzie’s novel These Heathens.

Summary

Welcome to rural Georgia in 1960. Doris Steels is a Black seventeen year old from a poor religious family. When her mother falls ill, she drops out of school to help care for her family, but initially has hopes to return. Time passes, and one day Doris discovers that she is pregnant. Doris is not ready to be a parent and is adamant that she wants an abortion.

But when you live in a small community where the only people who can help you with an abortion also know your parents, what do you do? In Doris’ case, she turns to Mrs. Lucas, a former teacher who is originally from Atlanta. Mrs. Lucas has friends and connections in Atlanta, and agrees to take Doris there for the weekend to obtain an abortion.

While waiting for the doctor, Doris meets - and is scandalized by - the people Mrs. Lucas and her friend Sylvia associate with. Over the course of the weekend, Doris meets prominent members of the Civil Rights movement and people who explore same sex relationships.

Doris went into this weekend not completely sure of what she wanted. Can she figure it out by the end of the weekend?

Thoughts

What Happens When You Leave Your Bubble?

The official synopsis of These Heathens talks about how McKenzie’s novel deals with “the transformative power of leaving your bubble, even for just one chaotic weekend.”

This concept was something I thought about as I read These Heathens.
Doris spent her entire life up until this point in one particular bubble that shaped her perspective and her expectations for life. When she had the opportunity to leave - even for a short time - and see a completely different way of life, her perspective changed.

We often talk about how important it is for characters to change over the course of the media that we consume. For Doris, leaving her bubble for the weekend was the catalyst she needed to make a change.

Doris spent most of her life being unable to make decisions about her own life. Often, these decisions were made based on factors outside her control. Let’s face it: being a poor Black person in 1960s Georgia is unfortunately going to put some limitations on what options are available to you. Doris had intersecting factors ranging from her class to her race to her gender that impacted the choices that were available to her.

By making the choice to seek out an abortion, Doris made a very intentional decision that would have an impact on the rest of her life.

In going to Atlanta, she saw some of the other choices she had available to her.

Based On A Real Person

McKenzie based Doris on her grandmother. I love knowing that fact. I think the real Doris would have been an interesting woman to know.

Mia McKenzie’s These Heathens is a powerful coming of age story set against the backdrop of 1960s Georgia, told with humor, heart, and a sharp critique of social and religious norms. The novel follows seventeen-year-old Doris Steele as she makes a secretive trip from her small town to Atlanta to get an abortion. What begins as a desperate act soon becomes a life altering journey, exposing her to a world far more expansive and complicated than she ever imagined.

The story masterfully weaves together personal and political awakenings. Doris’s encounters with civil rights icons, queer communities, and unapologetically bold women highlight the diversity of Black life that is often absent in narratives set during this period. I especially appreciated the nuanced way McKenzie explored how religion can simultaneously provide comfort and constraint. Doris’s inner conflict, shaped by her strict upbringing and the vibrant lives she sees in Atlanta, felt authentic and layered.

The relationship dynamics stood out to me the most, between Doris and her teacher, between old friends like Doris and Sylvia, and among the people who show up in unexpected ways. Each interaction revealed something new, not just about Doris but about the society she’s beginning to question. McKenzie’s inclusion of historical Black figures added another rich layer, reminding readers that personal rebellion and historical resistance often go hand in hand.

I closed this book thinking about how rare and refreshing it is to see a young Black girl at the center of such an honest, rebellious, and affirming story. Doris’s revelations stayed with me, particularly the subtle, sharp way McKenzie examines what happens when belief systems clash with lived experience.

I’ll definitely be reading more from this author. These Heathens is bold, necessary, and beautifully written. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

A gripping, page turning read. The place is rural Georgia and Atlanta; the year is 1960. God fearing Doris travels to Atlanta to get an abortion but learns so much more about the world. Celebrities, queerness, and the civil rights movement become part of her world during the weekend Doris spends in Atlanta. This is a wonderful story of Doris figuring out what she wants from life. A fabulous piece of historical fiction. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I was sent an electronic advanced copy by the publisher but I put it to the side. I heard the author on The Stacks podcast and decided to read the book. The novel takes place in Georgia during the Civil Rights movement. Doris, a young pregnant seventeen year old girl desires to end her pregnancy. She turns to a trusted school teacher for assistance. The teacher takes her to Atlanta from their small town of Millen for the procedure. While in Atlanta, Doris experiences people and events beyond what she would have in her small town.

The writing style of the novel is very witty. Doris has great one liners and thoughtful and humorous commentary on life. Even though parts of the novel are humorous, it does explore classism, racism, sexual orientation and women’s rights. Because of the depth of topics contained in the novel, this would make for a good book club discussion.

5⭐

This is going to be one of those shitty reviews where I just can't capture how unique this book was. Compelling from the first page and something I will be thinking about for a long time. Don't let the challenging subject matter scare you away but this is one those books that can't be missed this year.

These Heathens was a truly lovely novel, deftly weaving intersectional lqbtq+ and civil rights in a compulsively readable story. I love when the fall back of religion as a tool and framework of judgement gets unpacked and dismantled, as within this book. Would highly recommend.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

devoured this novel in every free moment I had. A powerful piece of historical fiction, it blends real names and accurate dates into a deeply personal, emotional journey.

Seventeen-year-old Doris Steele lives in rural Georgia in 1960, raising her younger siblings and caring for her sick mother since she dropped out of school at fifteen. She finds herself pregnant with a baby that she is too young and broke to keep, and with ultra-religious parents and no one to turn to, she seeks out her former teacher, Mrs. Lucas. The two take a weekend trip to Atlanta, where a wealthy friend, Mrs. Broussard, has offered to pay for Doris’s abortion and care for her during recovery.

Though meant to be brief, the trip ends up leaving a lasting impact. In Atlanta, Doris is exposed to a world that turns everything she thought she knew upside down. She sees Black wealth, independence, strength, and joy. She meets women who live boldly—defying modesty, embracing queerness, and challenging gender roles. She learns about the civil rights movement, attends a nonviolent protest workshop, and meets activists, celebrities, and Martin Luther King himself. And for the first time, Doris dares to imagine a different life—one bigger and freer than the one waiting for her back home.

What I loved most was being inside Doris’s mind as she slowly unlearned so much of what she’d been taught—about sin, womanhood, race, and love. The fact that her character is based on the author’s grandmother made her journey even more poignant. I was moved by the quiet power of female solidarity. The abortion scene was painfully graphic and hard to read, but it felt raw and necessary. I wish Doris had a happier ending, but the one she got felt honest—and that stayed with me just as much.

Amazing novel!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

A beautiful, short historical fiction novel about freedom, choice, queerness, and identity. This story follows our main character who is a 17 year old black girl from a rural, working class Georgia town in the 1960’s. She realizes she’s reluctantly pregnant and is seeking an abortion. Her teacher at school vows to help her, and takes her to Atlanta for the procedure and for a weekend filled with “these heathens.” Her upbringing is extremely strict and religious, and this weekend in Atlanta opens her up to the ongoing Civil Rights movement and the layered complexity of differing factions within it. It also opens her up to the thriving underground queer community in Atlanta at the time. This weekend makes her question everything- her political beliefs, faith, freedom, choice, a woman’s role in society, desire, queerness, and class.

This book really packs a punch in just under 200 pages. As a historical fiction lover, I really enjoyed the way the story explores what queer community looked like during this time period, and its exploration of the intersection of class, race, gender, and sexuality.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC!

**These Heathens** by Mia McKenzie is a sharp, beautifully written novel that pulls you in from the first page. McKenzie masterfully explores family, identity, and the complicated ways we love and hurt each other, all while keeping the story moving with wit and emotional depth. The characters feel real and raw, and the prose is both thoughtful and biting. It’s the kind of book you’ll want to talk about as soon as you finish. Highly recommend for readers who love smart, character-driven fiction!

Absolutely fantastic! Not only was this book well researched but also put things in a new perspective. It's just a small detail in this book but there is mention of those who may not be for integration. I had never really thought of things from that perspective. What about those who would lose their jobs due to integration and what kind of shift it could have. I love when a small detail in a book can open up a wider conversation. I've brought it up to so many people and they all have the same reaction I did.
These Heathens explores what it really means to find your true self and how your entire life can change due to the events of one weekend. Following Doris as she is trying get an abortion in the south while also witnessing other forms of 'sin' happening around was such a fun journey and how a 17 year old might handle these kind of situations was very relatable even today.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for early access in exchange for an honest review.

This was great. A coming of age story that takes place over the course of one weekend, in which a pious woman has her eyes opened to the civil right movement. Doris was hilarious and I loved her voice. The side characters were great too- I would have loved even more about the teacher and her “friend”!

These Heathens, by Mia McKenzie, is set in 1960s Georgia and is told in the voice of our main protagonist, Doris, a pregnant teenager from Rural Georgia who is brought to Atlanta by her favorite teacher to have an abortion.

In Atlanta, Doris is met with a cast of characters that are unlike anyone she’s ever met in her small town of Mullen. Women who love other women, wealthy Black families and people who are taking part in the civil rights movement, not just watching from the sidelines. This story was truly a coming of age for Doris. One weekend in Atlanta opened her whole world up to different experiences that she would have never imagined being from rural Georgia.

Overall, this short novel is a must read for lovers of historical fiction especially those that are interested in women’s fiction, civil rights, or coming of age stories.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to @netgalley for the digital copy!

This was a single day read, and given how unreliable my focus has been, that’s saying something! I loved Skye Falling and was very excited to give These Heathens a try, though it took longer than expected. Doris is a great narrator and her story is full of heart and community and the power of women supporting each other, especially Black women. I loved so much of Doris’ growth and how the weekend in Atlanta had such a lasting impact on her and her future. This is such a great book, and I’m excited to see what else we’ll get from Mia McKenzie.

In These Heathens, Doris takes a weekend trip to Atlanta to end her unwanted pregnancy and discovers herself and a slew of characters in this thought-provoking, hilarious take on what it was to be Black in the 1960s.

Readers will encounter many famous names and characters, who help Doris make life-altering decisions. These people help her to see it is okay to want, to dream, despite what the world and our families tell us.

I enjoyed the book overall and found so many parts funny. Without the trip to Atlanta and meeting different people, Doris would have remained where she was. This book is about opening ourselves up to new experiences. They can change our lives for the better, or at minimum, show us there is more to the world than our little bubble.