Meet Me in the Garden by Lacour, Nina

"A MASTERPIECE that stands as an EXCEPTIONAL work of historical fiction...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 review)

"SWEEPING and PROFOUND." --People (MOST ANTICIPATED)

From BESTSELLING, AWARD-WINNING author Nina LaCour comes a GORGEOUS FAMILY STORY about self-discovery and love in all forms, inspired by the author's Creole roots

New Orleans, 1944. Odette has always been one of the Honore sisters, glamorous and admired in their Creole community. But while Odette's older sisters are content to be wives and mothers, Odette has always wanted something else. It is only with her beloved cousin, Delphine, that Odette can tell her secret: she is in love with a woman, and she longs to be an artist. Delphine has a secret lover, too, a white man. In the hidden garden they've discovered, Odette and Delphine can dream of futures full of passion and freedom.

But five years later, Odette's life is nothing like what she'd planned. She's a widowed mother, living in Los Angeles, and she and Delphine, who is passing as white, have spiraled away from each other. When Delphine reaches a breaking point, Odette must make a shattering choice to try to hold her family together.

Profound and expansive, a story of love and longing, art and motherhood, friendship and desire, Meet Me in the Garden is a decades-spanning tour de force, inspired by the author's family and tracing the history of the Great Migration.

Author: Nina Lacour
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: 08/04/2026
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.33lbs
Size: 9.48h x 6.47w x 1.32d
ISBN: 9781250810472

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 05/01/2026 pg. 113
Booklist 06/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 06/08/2026
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2026

About the Author
NINA LACOUR is the award-winning and bestselling author of Yerba Buena, as well as many works for children and young adults. A former indie bookseller and educator, she lives with her family in San Francisco.