Queer Reads Book Club: These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
Queer Reads Book Club features a discussion of *These Heathens* by Mia McKenzie. The Jamaica Plain group reads a book by an LGBTQ+ author each month, with November’s selection focusing on Black women’s obligations and ambitions, self-discovery, and the transformative effect of leaving one’s familiar surroundings.
McKenzie’s novel follows seventeen-year-old Doris Steele, who travels from 1960s Georgia to Atlanta to obtain an abortion. While waiting for the doctor, Doris stays with her teacher, Mrs. Lucas, and Mrs. Lucas’s wealthy, outspoken childhood friend Sylvia. Over one chaotic weekend, Doris encounters celebrities she has read about in *Jet* and *Ebony*, political figures including Coretta Scott King and Diane Nash, women in same-sex relationships, atheists, guests at a queer gathering, and student activists at a SNCC conference. As she encounters people who appear certain about who they are and what they want, Doris begins considering what she wants for herself.
When: Thursday, November 19, 2026
Showtimes: 6:00pm–7:30pm
Venue: Jamaica Plain, 30 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Event type: Book Group
Book: *These Heathens* by Mia McKenzie
Tickets: Price not available
Book access: Copies are available at the Jamaica Plain Branch and through Libby/Overdrive.
Audience: The event is categorized for adults and is conducted in English.
Content warnings: A link to content warnings is provided through StoryGraph. The warnings are user-generated and may contain errors or spoilers.
Accessibility: Disability accommodations and language services can be requested through the listed department. The library asks that requests be made at least two weeks in advance.
Contact: jamaicaplain@bpl.org or 617-524-2053