MEET ME IN THE GARDEN by Nina LaCour
9781250810472
8/4/26
Flatiron Books
Fiction / Family Life / Multigenerational
Nina LaCour is back with another sweeping, devastating, and beautiful story in MEET ME IN THE GARDEN.
In 1944 New Orleans, within their tight-knit Creole community, Odette and her cousin Delphine meet regularly in a garden. Closer than sisters, they secretly share their dreams of passion and freedom. Odette longs to be an artist and is in love with a woman, while Delphine is having a secret affair with a white photographer who gets her pregnant.
But time moves on, and the once-inseparable cousins drift apart. Years later in Los Angeles, Odette’s life is nothing like she planned—she’s a widowed mother, and Delphine is now passing as white. One day, Odette spots Delphine looking disheveled and shoeless on the street. She tries to break through to her, but Delphine turns away. Desperate, Delphine blackmails Odette into raising her five-year-old daughter, threatening to out Odette’s sexuality. When Delphine reaches her breaking point, Odette must make a devastating choice to save her family.
This gorgeous story captures all the complexity of family and connection, of drifting apart and finding a way back to yourself. As I read, I deeply felt the characters’ heartbreak and saw how their flaws ultimately made way for beautiful connections. The dialogue is my absolute favorite part; the clever, natural, and passionate conversations made it easy to settle into the story and feel every emotion through tragedy, stolen moments, and love. And art is at the center of it all!
Spanning decades, this profound novel explores love, art, identity, motherhood, and friendship. It is perfect for readers of HELLO BEAUTIFUL and THE VANISHING HALF. Plus, the gorgeous, lush cover is the perfect cherry on top!
“Full of the grief of losing a father and the joy of creative awakening, this character-driven beauty is an immersive, heartfelt triumph. It is a fantastic must-read that will resonate deeply with fans of Alice Walker and Brit Bennett.”—Booklist, starred
“. . . LaCour’s sensuous novel is steeped in rich details of jazz, Creole cooking, and California glamour, and the characters are pitch-perfect. ”—Publisher’s Weekly
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