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.")

short but super strong and really well-written. a moment in time and yet every moment at the same time. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

What a fantastic and important read. I will be rereading this and recommending it to my friends. I love books that give you insight into other lived experiences and cultures outside of your own.
This book is incredibly relatable and timely.

4.5 stars.

These Heathens follows Doris—a 17 year-old girl from a small town, to Atlanta to get an abortion in the 1960s.

She finds herself surrounded by the civil rights movement, feminism, and the lives of Black queer people, specifically sapphics.

Doris is initially horrified by these “ungodly” “heathens”. But just one day into her weekend stay, she begins to question every narrow-minded concept that has been instilled in her, “It suddenly seemed like a very strange thing for God to want.”

It is such a riveting coming of age novel centered around racism, homophobia, misogyny, religious fanaticism, and embracing ideals that were considered too radical at the time (and which many, unfortunately, still do).

It is a short read yet so beautiful and impactful. These Heathens is truly wonderful and I cannot recommend it enough; it comes out June 17, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Mia McKenzie for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the advance copy of These Heathens by Mia McKenzie. It can't get any worse for 17 year old Doris when she learns she is pregnant while caring for her family because of an ill mother. Doris turns to her former teacher, Mrs. Lucas, who shepherds her away to Atlanta to obtain an abortion in the 1960's.

Doris lands snack dab in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement and into the hearts of an LGBQT community. While some liberties were taken by the author, the story remains memorable!

I love Mia McKenzie’s writing so much. Skye Falling is one of my favorite books, and it’s exciting to see the range she has in her subject matter while maintaining her engaging sense of humor (that never takes away from the serious nature of her social commentary). These Heathens had such a compelling story while also introducing many dynamic characters without reducing them to cardboard cutouts. Sometimes it felt like there was a bit too much going on, but overall I also understand why McKenzie included the varied layers of historical context. It was a prescient and important book, especially regarding its focus on abortion. 4.5/5

This book can be described both as revisionist history and women's literature. Reading it took me through all of my emotions. I blinked away tears. I laughed out loud. I cheered, and I held my breath, as Doris introduced each of the heathens she encountered as she told her story. Having heard the rumor referred to in this story, I enjoyed learning of its possible evolution.

netgally arc review!!

oh. my. god. this book is amazing! while its only 170 pages it felt like i read a full length novel. the characters (which i read in the acknowledgments that Doris was based on Mia McKenzies grandmother) felt so real (some of which were actual real people) and they were fully fleshed out.

the writing style of this book is addicting, it felt like i was watching a movie which very few books have done for me.

not to mention the journey Doris goes on in this book. a young poor black girl finds out she's pregnant and knows what she needs to do. we follow Doris as she travels to atlanta with her old teacher to get an abortion. when she gets there she finds that everything she's ever known is being spun on its head. it takes place in 1960 during the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr.

i loved how much this book focused on the women during this time. the main cast of characters was mostly women. and strong powerful and complex women at that. wow it was just beautiful.

Doris finding herself should not have fit in 170 pages and felt completed, but it did! i don't know what kind of magic that is lol. Doris is 17 in this and is questioning everything she's ever known while also being pregnant and seeking out an abortion, it's some heavy stuff and you really feel for her and i know so many women who can relate to that.

with Roe v. Wade being overturned in recent years and trump being president again it is possibly more relatable than ever now. and its hard to see how much we are backpedaling on so much progress we have made over the years. i think now more than ever this book is so important.

i haven't even really talked about the civil rights movement yet. we focus on the women mostly within the civil rights movement. something that isn't talked about as much i feel like. the strong women who helped change things. we also see peoples different views of what's happening some of which i honestly had never considered. we see the hate that came with this movement from the KKK and it was terrifying.

Doris is also religious and finds herself surrounded by queer people, confused on her relationship with god and Jesus after finding this out. this part of the book was written so beautifully and some engaging and relatable. we see how her relationship with god changes as her story progresses.

nothing is sugar coated and nothing is watered down. its a great book and i think its more relevant than ever now! everyone should read this it was amazing.

I really enjoyed this one. So many lessons to take away from this book, the biggest take away for me was “in life you must be true to yourself”. To live your best life so you can be happy and fulfilled even when it requires tough choices. This book dives into diversity, race, homosexuality, religion, abortion, oppression and discrimination. It shows that taking uncomfortable risks is worth it for the rewards life has in store for you.

All the characters were likable, even the most difficult. The author did an excellent job of letting us see things from many points of view, not just from the protagonist’s. I especially enjoyed getting to know each character individually. Hearing their side was enlightening and liberating. (Miss Julia and Mrs. Broussard). We all have a tendency to judge people but often when we put ourselves in their shoes it becomes a very different story.

I won’t recap the story here because many reviewers already have just know this is a fantastic read and you should grab a copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author Mia McKenzie and Random House Publishing for my advanced readers copy of this awesome book.

I thought these heathens was a greatly executed novel and I really enjoyed it. I found the characters to be relatable and realistic.

What an interesting coming of age story about a Black girl in the 1960s south. I appreciated the little bits of humor thrown into an otherwise serious story. Doris says several times, “I was so relieved I almost shit!” I enjoyed reading about her journey to Atlanta for an abortion, but I would have liked more background on how she came to be in that situation.

Overall, a very enjoyable read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These Heathens touched on important issues, but felt rushed. Everything went by too quickly and so much was packed into a little weekend. I enjoyed the characters, but wanted more struggle with her development considering she did a 180 in her beliefs. Overall, an interesting read. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Doris, the protagonist of These Heathens, grew up in a small, rural Georgia town called Millen where she helps care for her younger siblings. Doris is bright and did well in school, but had to drop out when her mother became ill. Now, her life is mostly cooking, cleaning and caretaking. When Doris realizes she's pregnant, she is absolutely certain she does not want to have a child. But in a small town like Millen, the options for abortion are few and the possibility of obtaining an abortion in total privacy are even fewer. Doris seeks aid from her favorite school teacher, Mrs. Cate Lucas, who despite initial reluctance agrees to help Doris.

Doris and Mrs. Lucas head to Atlanta for an abortion. It's the first time Doris has left Millen and her eyes and mind are blown open. There is dancing, drinking, homosexuality, protesting for desegregation, rich black people, and far less regard for the church than Doris is used to. At first, Doris is slightly horrified. And then, she realizes, these things might not be all bad.

Through the course of These Heathens, we learn a little about the nonviolent protests held by SNCC, get glimpses of historic figures like Julia Avery and Coretta Scott King, and watch Doris's coming of age. Overall, this book was both warm and heavy. I loved the relationships and characters and while we touched on sad/hard themes (like the Klan threatening black people who have registered to vote), it is relatively easy reading. Doris, in particular, is easy to love and root for.

5 stars. Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“These Heathens” tells the story of Doris Steele, whose need for an abortion sets her on an unexpected journey. As she travels to Atlanta, Doris slowly discovers new ideas through her encounters with civil rights and queer communities. Her growing radical views don’t appear overnight. Instead, they gradually develop as she begins to question the strict beliefs of her small-town upbringing. Overall, this was a great and very impactful read.

Overall I enjoyed the novel. I loved the diversity in characters and felt like a very specific time in history.
But the novel felt rushed. The topics discussed in the book (race, sexuality, women’s rights) deserved way more time to be fleshed out and it would have made more sense to Doris’s character to take the time to explore them.
Overall a good read!

This book wasn't on my radar until it was gifted to me. It takes place over a life-changing weekend in the 1960s when 17-year-old pregnant Doris travels to Atlanta with her former teacher. The purpose of the trip is to get an abortion, but Doris ends up with a real education about the civil rights movement and homosexuality.

I wanted a little more background on Doris, like how she got pregnant and more about her later life. But as a snapshot of a Black girl's coming of age story, this is well done.

This book was great and I would definitely recommend it to my students. I think this is a way point to get students to look things up and read about the past specifically gender sexuality and the civil rights movement. It would be a great way to introduce students without a textbook and also provide them the opportunity to look things up for themselves. This book was humorous And serious at the same time. It was very interesting to read about all of the people.

These Heathens was a happy accident for me! It was an impactful and poignant story that I am grateful to have encountered.

Doris is a 17 year old black girl living in small town Georgia. The year is 1960 and the Civil Rights movement is in full swing. Doris finds herself in a very personal dilemma and seeks out the person she trusts most to help, her former teacher Mrs. Lucas. Mrs. Lucas finds a solution to Doris’ situation and they head off to Atlanta to resolve it.

While in Atlanta, pious Doris is exposed to a host of situations that she hasn’t encountered before; queerness, sit-ins, and progressive politics among them. Doris even has encounters with familiar Civil Rights leaders (ex. MLK Jr. and Coretta Scott King) and, unfortunately, the KKK. She must unlearn everything she has always believed to be THE truth and forge a new path for herself. In a single weekend, Doris’ life is forever changed.

The writing is just lovely. Mia McKenzie joins knee-slapping humor and tough subject matters. While that coupling may seem troubling, it is done with such grace and tenderness that it just works. Doris is a great and complex character. She has an air of innocence about her but is far from naive. The rest of the cast of characters were exceedingly well written. As a reader, I got a very clear picture of each character’s beliefs and motivators. I am not entirely sure how I feel about the addition of real life historical figures but it did keep the book exciting and engaging.

This coming of age story is an important read and I think just about everyone can benefit from it. I will be recommending it to anyone who will listen! I’m excited to check out more of McKenzie’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This novel had me hooked right from the first sentence, and I stayed completely entranced the whole way through. With a story this short, you can't waste a single sentence. Trust, the author did not struggle to make every word matter.

The story of a deeply religious, small town black teen attempting to get an abortion in 1960's Georgia could very easily get crushed under the heaviness of its subjects. But Doris's quick wit lifted it up in all the right moments.

These Heathens was not a lecture. It was not attempting to tell the reader how to feel about any of the tricky issues it brought up. It was simply an exploration and discovery of Doris's true, honest thoughts about everything going on around (and within!) her.

The Heathens was such an entertaining book. The author did such a great job of turning the situation of a poor black teenager in rural Georgia struggling to rid herself of an unwanted pregnancy into a life changing weekend that would give young Doris a look into the lives of more people and more situations than she could have ever imagined. Writing in the voice of Doris, a country girl who had more gumption than education was brilliant. I loved Doris’s phrases and reactions. The author deftly handled many themes including the inability of women to govern their bodies with a light touch, interspersing historical people and events. This would be a great book club book. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to preview this book.