Zora Neale Hurston Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Plays

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Short Story Anthologies

Publication Order of Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas (MELA) Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

About Zora Neale Hurston

An American folklorist, as well as being a highly regarded author, the writer Zora Neale Hurston was well known for being a well established voice during her time. Creating a rich and varied backlog of work, she would come to create a number of books that were extremely well received through her career. Producing a full and extensive oeuvre, she has definitely left a legacy which will be heard for many years to come yet.

Early and Personal Life

Born on the 7th of January 1891, the author Zora Neale Hurston would come to have a long productive writing career for the duration of her life. The sixth of eight children, she was born to father who was a preacher and sharecropper, along with her mother who was a schoolteacher. Growing up in Notasulga in Alabama, she would take her life experiences and put them back into her work as a writer in the future.

Later her and her family would go on to live in Eatonville in Florida which, in 1887, was one of the first towns to be proclaimed an ‘all-black town’, as it would be incorporated into the United States. It was here that her father would become the mayor of the town in 1897, followed by becoming the minister of the largest church there in 1897. This would also come to influence much of her writing, shaping the way in which she would look at the world throughout her career.

Studying Howard University she would graduate in 1920, whereby she took courses in Greek, Spanish and English, along with public speaking. It would be with this that she would go on to hone and refine many of her ideas throughout the following years, whilst also having co-founded the student newspaper there, ‘The Hilltop’. Achieving numerous other academic accolades, she would be celebrated for her writing, building a name and reputation for herself as a writer with a strong voice.

Marrying the jazz musician Herbert Sheen in 1927, he would later become a physician, an their marriage ended in 1931. Establishing herself as not just a writer, she would also establish a school of dramatic arts which would be based on ‘pure Negro expression’. Seeking to advance herself and the world and around her, she would become a prominent black writer, a legacy which continues to this very day.

Writing Career

In the year of 1928 Zora Neale Hurston would bring out her first essay titled ‘How It Feels To Be Colored Me’, which would recount her experiences growing up. Looking at her time spent in Eatonville, it would come to exemplify the experiences of many black Americans, giving them a voice in the years to follow. Later in 1934 she would write her first full fictional novel titled ‘Jonah’s Gourd Vine’, which would also expand upon these important themes and ideas.

Travelling extensively throughout her life, she would also come to incorporate a number of folkloric ideas into her work too. Examining the cultures of the Caribbean along with the American South, she would take into account the many traditions and stories that she found there. Immersing herself in the local cultures and customs, she would come to provide a first-hand account of all that she heard and saw during her time there.

Living a long and productive life, she lived until the 28th of January, 1960, when she would finally pass away. Leaving behind a vast and important legacy, she really made an impact with her work, one that is still admired to this day. With more and more discovering her work every day, she will continue to live on in the American consciousness as an essential literary figure for many years to come.

Jonah’s Gourd Vine

Originally published in 1934, this would come to be a groundbreaking work from Zora Neale Hurston as an author of the time. Brought out through Harper Perennial publishing label, this would come to exemplify much of Hurston’s career to follow too. Taking themes prevalent at the time, it would manage to capture a sense of the mood and what was really happening back then, making it one of her most important novels to date.

With this being her first book, it is a definite must for any fans or scholars of the author hoping to find out more on her life’s work. The characters would also come to reflect her own experiences, as many would be amalgamations of people she met during her own lifetime up until that point. Providing an extremely comprehensive look at the period and setting of the time, this really is a fully rounded snapshot of the era itself, giving plenty of insight into the period and setting.

A semi-autobiographical novel, this would chart the journey of a group of characters from Alabama to Eatonville in Florida, reflecting the journey of that of Zora’s own parents lives. Migrating there, the story looks at the issues of the time, as it examines racial politics, identity and, ultimately, escapism. Taking a look at the philandering preacher John Pearson, it takes the title from the biblical passage on Jonah in order to reflect what’s going on with him. What will they find in this new land? Can they make a new life for themselves? Where is Jonah’s gourd vine?

Seraph on the Suwanee

First coming out through the ‘Harpperen’ publishing house, this would be the last novel to be published by Zora Neale Hurston during her lifetime. Looking at the lives of white people for the first time, she gets into their perspective of southern society in America at the time. Bringing Florida to life, this was initially published in 1948, marking the end to a brilliant and illuminating literary career.

One of Zoras only novels on white characters, this title explores their lives living in Florida, as it attempts to paint a portrait of the south at the time. Following the young woman of Arvay Henson, it sees her as the leading protagonist attempting to make sense of this world. With a whole host of suitors attempting to woo her, she must make her choices and find what she wants from marriage. Will she be able to settle down? Can she find the right man? What will become of Seraph on the Suwanee?