Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Book for June 2018
Group 3

first published in 1937, is the best known work by African-American writer Zora Neale Hurston. The main character Janie Crawford, an African-American woman in her early forties, tells the story of her life to her best friend Pheoby Watson in an extended flashback. Readers learn the story of her life in three major periods corresponding to her marriages to three very different men. As a young woman she comes to realize that people must learn about life 'fuh theyselves' (for themselves), just as people can only go to God for themselves. Set in central and southern Florida in the early 20th century, the novel was initially poorly received and forgotten until the 1970ies. Today it has come to be regarded as a seminal work in both African-American literature and women's literature.

About the Author
Zora Neale Hurston
January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960, was an American novelist, short story writer, folklorist, and anthropologist known for her contributions to African-American literature, her portrayal of racial struggles in the American South, and works documenting her research on Haitian voodoo.