Join us for our June discussion of Yerba Buena

Yerba Buena is a novel by Nina LaCour, a celebrated author of young-adult books about same-sex relationships. It is her first novel for adults, and it tells the story of Sara and Emilie, two women who meet and fall in love at a chic restaurant in Los Angeles. The novel alternates between Sara’s past as a teenage runaway who lost her first love Annie to a car accident, and Emilie’s present as a floral designer who is unhappy with her affair with the restaurant’s married owner. The novel explores how Sara and Emilie heal their respective traumas and rebuild their respective families alongside each other.

The novel is a complex and realistic portrayal of queer women who are not defined by their sexual identity but by their humanity. It also reflects on the themes of maturity, agency, purpose, and belonging. The novel is named after the herb that grows in thick and lush tangles, as well as the original name of San Francisco, a city that has witnessed the history of LGBT rights and culture. The novel is a warm and bittersweet love story that celebrates the power of connection and growth