Book title: Their eyes were watching God
Author: Zora Neale Hurston
| Bibliographic entry | Hurston, Z. N. (2006). Their eyes were watching God. New York, NY: Harper Perennial Modern Classics. (Original work published 1937) |
| Description | Janey endures three very different marriages and spends her life searching for love. Set in Florida and the 1920s, the book is an eclectic mix of historical and cultural nuance. |
| Reaction | Janey’s story is every woman’s story. The book is vividly poetic and emotionally complex as it explores the inner secrets of African American culture. The classism within the culture is surprisingly complex and will be an excellent read for students. |
| Recommended age level | Intermediate/Senior |
| Subjects/themes | Culture, love, class, race, American history, American geography |
| Curriculum connections | History: describe the experiences of African Americans to the present time, particularly in connection with slavery, emancipation, and the civil rights movement (e.g., segregation, disenfranchisement, educational restrictions);English: read a variety of student- and teacher-selected texts from diverse cultures and historical periods, identifying specific purposes for reading |
| Awards | |
| Miscellaneous | Probably one of the most authentic African American voices of its time, the novel was not acclaimed until Hurston’s death in 1960. |
threadbare beauty 