A heartfelt and raw novel set in the deep south in the late 1800’s, Their Eyes Were Watching God introduces the world to Janie Crawford, mulatto woman, grown up after slaves were freed, determined on living her dreams and finding for herself what love is. Rich with symbolism, Black Southern culture, and emotion, this novel boldly questions notions of love, living up to the ideals of others, and social class even amongst a town of the same race.

Zora Neale Hurston, lived during the Harlem Renaissance and wrote many short stories, novels, and poems alongside Langston Hughes and other activists to show the world the culture of African Americans. After being buried in an unmarked gravel, Hurtson’s legacy was lost for 13 years, until Alice Walker brought her memory back to life. Their Eyes Were Watching God is probably her most known literary acclaimed works and continues to be a classic among readers intrigued by our nation’s history.

You know how you grew up hating the fact that you had to eat your vegetables? And now that you’re a bit older, sometimes all you want to eat is something healthy? The same feeling goes along when you finish this historic novel… a few years ago, you may have stayed as far away from it as possible, but now… maybe it’s the one thing you need this week. (That’s about how long it will take to read, even if you have sports and other activities going on) It was challenging to read, the dialogue was from the Deep South, which is just not spoken up here in the Pacific Northwest. Nevertheless, the nod to real history that this story gave was a huge refresher from the fiction I always read. It’s the filling Christmas feast after a year of random meals and junk food.