Top 10 Books By Zora Neale Hurston

1. Zora Neale Hurston: Novels and Stories

by Zora Neale Hurston. Library of America. From the publisher: "When she died in poverty and obscurity in 1960, all of Zora Neale Hurston's books were out of print. Today her groundbreaking works, suffused with the culture and traditions of African-Americans and the poetry of black speech, have won her recognition as one of the most significant African-American writers."

2. Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston. HarperCollins Publishers. From the publisher: "This novel about a proud, independent black woman was first published in 1937 and generally dismissed by reviewers. It was out of print for nearly 30 years when the University of Illinois Press reissued it in 1978..." The book has been called "the greatest works in the canon of African-American fiction."

3. Dust Tracks On The Road

by Zora Neale Hurston. HarperCollins Publishers. From the publisher: "First published in 1942 at the crest of her popularity, this is Zora Neale Hurston's unrestrained account of her rise from childhood poverty in the rural South to prominence among the leading artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance."

4. Jonah's Gourd Vine

by Zora Neale Hurston. HarperCollins Publishers. From the publisher: "The first novel by the noted black novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist. Originally published in 1934, it was praised by Carl Sandburg as 'a bold and beautiful book, many a page priceless and unforgettable.'"

5. Moses, Man of the Mountain

by Zora Neale Hurston. HarperCollins Publishers. From the publisher: "In this 1939 novel based on the familiar story of the Exodus, Zora Neale Hurston blends the Moses of the Old Testament with the Moses of black folklore and song to create a compelling allegory of power, redemption, and faith."

6. Seraph on the Suwanee

by Zora Neale Hurston. HarperCollins Publishers. From the publisher: "Full of insights into the nature of love, attraction, faith, and loyalty, 'Seraph on the Suwanee' is the compelling story of two people at once deeply in love and deeply at odds."

7. Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica

by Zora Neale Hurston. HarperCollins Publishers. From the publisher: "Based on Zora Neale Hurston's personal experiences in Haiti and Jamaica... this travelogue into a dark world paints a vividly authentic picture of ceremonies and customs and superstitions of great cultural interest."

8. Complete Stories

by Zora Neale Hurston. HarperCollins Publishers. From the publisher: "This landmark gathering of Zora Neale Hurston's short fiction - most of which appeared only in literary magazines during her lifetime and some of which has never been published - reveals the evolution of the talents of one of the most important African-American writers."

9. I Love Myself when I Am Laughing...and Then Again when I Am Looking Me

by Zora Neale Hurston. Feminist Press. From the publisher: "The most prolific African-American author from 1920 to 1950, Hurston was praised for her writing and condemned for her independence and audaciousness. This unique anthology, with 14 superb examples of her fiction, journalism, folklore, and autobiography, rightfully establishes her as the intellectual and spiritual leader..."

10. Zora Neale Hurston: Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings

by Zora Neale Hurston. Library of America. "Folklore is the arts of the people," Hurston wrote, "before they find out that there is any such thing as art." From the publisher: "A pioneer of African-American ethnography who did graduate study in anthropology with the renowned Franz Boas, Hurston devoted herseif to preserving the black folk heritage." Read more of her own writings.