November 2025 Book Club: We Will Plant Birds of Paradise by Genevieve Rheams

We’re meeting on November 12th, 2025 (back to the second Wednesday of the month) to discuss We Will Plant Birds of Paradise by local author, storyteller, and friend of the book club Genevieve Rheams. It is a poignant and uplifting journey of love, family, and self-acceptance that spans generations.

Love blooms where courage is planted.

In 1995, 15-year-old Jess witnesses a moment that will define her future—a grandmother’s regret, a mother’s judgment, and an estranged aunt’s resilience. Fast forward to 2014, Jess is now a single mom working for her beloved Aunt Louanne and Louanne’s wife, Vivienne. As Jess navigates her divorce and newfound love for her neighbor, Pam, she grapples with the legacy of familial rejection and the courage it takes to live authentically.

This beautifully woven tale explores the rippling effects of homophobia, the complexities of parenting, and the transformative power of love. From the delicate beginnings of Jess and Pam’s romance to the vibrant celebration of marriage equality, We Will Plant Birds of Paradise celebrates the strength it takes to heal wounds across generations and create a chosen family.

Set against the backdrop of historic moments, this novel crescendos into a heartwarming conclusion, where love triumphs, acceptance blooms, and Jess finds herself surrounded by a family reshaped by bravery and understanding. Genevieve Rheams delivers a moving portrait of what it means to sow seeds of love and watch them flourish into a paradise of hope and joy.

We Will Plant Birds of Paradise is being published in September 2025. Look for it in local book shops and at the publisher's website. https://rattlinggoodyarns.com/authors/genevieve-rheams/

Author Info: Genevieve Rheams writes LGTBQ+ romance, comedy, literature, and personal essays. She received her MFA in Fiction from the University of New Orleans, teaches fiction writing workshops, and is an Academic Advisor at Loyola University. You can find her telling stories onstage at her local chapter of The Moth or Greetings, From Queer Mountain. She delights in having conversations with her three adult children and going for absurdly long walks. She lives with her wife in her hometown of New Orleans with their two cats and a dog. As you read this, she is most likely out of coffee and litter. For more information and stories, you can find her at https://www.genevieverheams.com/

Social half-hour starts at 6:30 and the book discussion starts around 7:00. We will be inside in the usual room - the tasting room. It's inside, past the bar, up the stairs, left through the door, and past the restrooms. Ask at the bar for directions. Second Line should have a food truck/ vendor out there or you can bring your own.