On the surface, These Heathens is about an African-American teenager in the 1960s who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and in need of an abortion. But the novel is also about the Civil Rights Movement and those fighting for equal rights.
Mia McKenzie's historical fiction brings 17-year-old Doris face-to-face with Coretta Scott King and Diane Nash while she awaits her abortion procedure. Seeking help from her trusted teacher Mrs. Lucas, Doris finds herself running off to Atlanta where Mrs. Lucas' friend Sylvia has promised to help Doris. But things get postponed, and Doris experiences one of Sylvia's parties, a conference put on by the SNCC, an encounter with the Klan, and even a chance meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr.
This novel is fast-paced. I read it in less than 24 hours, partly because it is not long and partly because I had a lot of free time to read, and I didn't want to put this book down. This is a book that shows how important it is for everyone - white, black, straight, gay - to have the choice to live how they want to live.
These Heathens is published by Random House and is on bookstore shelves now. I received a free e-ARC in exchange for this review.
Comments
Post a Comment