Nina LaCour combines socio-historical commentary, the intricacies of family dynamics, and queer romance into one whole and compelling story in Meet Me in the Garden. As a fan of LaCour’s other works, We Are Okay and Yerba Buena, I was so excited to dive into her newest novel, which centres on Odette, a young woman who moves from New Orleans to Los Angeles with her sisters in the 1940’s. From the first page, I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. I needed to know more about each character and craved the discovery of how Odette’s life would unfold. I was pleasantly surprised by the social commentary that the book provided about the intricacies of life for Black people in Los Angeles around the 1950s, colourism within the Black community, and the struggles of women and queer people of this time.
Widowed and raising a child by herself, Odette’s journey in Los Angeles is fraught with obstacles – she is unable to open a bank account on her own, she is forced into hiding her sexuality at the threat of her son being taken away should she be found out to be a homosexual, and she has had to repress her artistic gifts to be able to provide for her family. All she wants is to be able to afford a 2 bedroom apartment where she can raise her son in peace, but Odette’s cousin Delphine throws a wrench into the plans. Tasked with raising Delphine’s daughter, Odette finds herself scrambling to find a new husband so that the adoption is able to go through. What follows is a saga of marriage, divorce, art, fear, and ultimately love and happiness as Odette figures out how to live her truth.
Fear plays a central part in Odette’s choices throughout the course of the novel. It steals the life that she dreams of out from underneath her. Fear is the thief of happiness, but even more so, of self-actualization. To see her shed her fear and come into herself over the course of the book was so beautiful and gratifying, and throughout the story, even as she herself still struggles, she strives to pass this inspired, fearless mindset on to her children.
Another unexpected aspect of this book that I greatly appreciated was the discussion of mental health issues. In the beginning of the book, Odette’s father has just passed away while living in a mental hospital. As Odette is coming to terms with her father’s situation and getting her bearings in Los Angeles, she witnesses her cousin in the midst of a mental episode, which results in her hospitalisation and Odette being charged with caring for Delphine’s daughter, Nathalie. At the end of the book, there is a scene in which Odette and Nathalie have a candid discussion about their family’s history with mental illness and the support that Odette is prepared to provide Nathalie, should issues arise. I found this scene to be quite beautiful and a full-circle moment for Odette, in which she truly comes to terms with her family history but stands solid in her knowledge that whatever may come, they can face it together.
Overall, I really loved that Odette was the image of a mother who loves her children with all her heart, and does all she can to provide for them, but is still able to be her true self and pursue her passions and her loves. Being queer is truly a breath of fresh air; it’s knowing that you don’t have to live your life the way others planned for you. It’s a soft breeze, fluttering white curtains in the bedroom, and wildflowers on the dining room table.
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