Zora Neale Hurston Reading Order
8 series · 66 books
Zora Neale Hurston was a prolific American author, anthropologist, and folklorist known for her vivid storytelling and exploration of African American culture. With a remarkable body of work that includes 66 titles across 8 series—ranging from novels and short stories to plays and picture books—she left a lasting impact on literature. Her most famous novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937, remains a cornerstone of American literature. Active from 1924 until her passing in 2025, Hurston’s contributions continue to resonate today.
Anthologies Series
Likely Complete15 books (1959–2021)
Start with The Saturday Review Gallery, the first of 15 books in the Anthologies series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Saturday Review Gallery 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  The Best Short Stories by Black Writers 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | Louisiana Stories 1990Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Florida Stories 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Writing Women's Lives 1994Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Downhome 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  The Prize Plays and Other One-Acts Published in Periodicals 1996Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Writing New York 1998Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | The Messenger Reader Stories, Poetry, and Essays from The Messenger Magazine 2000Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Mothers Through the Eyes of Women Writers 2001Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Rotten English 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  Graphic Classics, Volume 22: African-American Classics 2011Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 | Letters to Change the World: From Pankhurst to Orwell 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  American Midnight 2019Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 | On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library 2021Buy 🇺🇸 |
Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas (MELA) Series
Complete2 books (1950–1950)
Start with Chinatown Family (Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas(By: Lin Yutang,C. Lok Chua) and read in order.
Non-Fiction Series
Likely Complete12 books (1928–2023)
Start with How It Feels to Be Colored Me, the first of 12 books in the Non-Fiction series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  How It Feels to Be Colored Me 1928Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Tell My Horse 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Dust Tracks on a Road 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Bottle Up and Go 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Complete Essays 1997Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Collected Essays 1998Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters(With: Carla Kaplan) 2002Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  You Don't Know Us Negroes and Other Essays 2022Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 | You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays 2022Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 | Cudjo's Own Story of the Last African Slaver 2023Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 | The Last Slave Ship 2023Buy 🇺🇸 |
Picture Series
Likely Complete3 books (2006–2023)
Start with The Three Witches(With: Joyce Carol Thomas) and read in order.
Plays Series
Likely Complete5 books (2009–2022)
Start with Three Plays: Lawing and Jawing; Forty Yards; Woofing, the first of 5 books in the Plays series.
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Likely Complete4 books (1924–2023)
Start with Drenched in Light, the first of 4 books in the Short Stories/Novellas series.
Short Story Collections Series
Likely Complete19 books (1935–2022)
Start with Mules and Men, the first of 19 books in the Short Story Collections series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Mules and Men 1935Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Hurston Reader 1979Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  I Love Myself When I Am Laughing... And Then Again 1979Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  The Sanctified Church 1981Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Spunk! 1985Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Novels and Stories 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  The Complete Stories 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Zora Neale Hurston: Stories 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Zora Neale Hurston: Plays 1998Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Go Gator and Muddy the Water 1999Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Every Tongue Got to Confess 2001Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  In Search of Our Sister's Garden 2003Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  The Skull Talks Back(With: Joyce Carol Thomas) 2004Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  What's the Hurry, Fox? 2004Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  Lies and Other Tall Tales(With: Joyce Carol Thomas) 2005Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 | Bookmarks in the Pages of Life 2020Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick 2020Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 | I Love Myself When I Am Laughing... And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive 2020Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 | Collected Early Works 2022Buy 🇺🇸 |
Standalone Novels Series
Ongoing6 books (1934–2025)
Start with Jonah's Gourd Vine, the first of 6 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Zora Neale Hurston written?
- Zora Neale Hurston has written 66 books across 8 series. Their published works span from 1924 to 2025.
- What is the first book in each Zora Neale Hurston series?
- Here are the first books in Zora Neale Hurston's series: Anthologies: The Saturday Review Gallery; Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas (MELA): Chinatown Family (Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas(By: Lin Yutang,C. Lok Chua); Non-Fiction: How It Feels to Be Colored Me; Picture: The Three Witches(With: Joyce Carol Thomas); Plays: Three Plays: Lawing and Jawing; Forty Yards; Woofing.
- What order should I read Zora Neale Hurston's books?
- We recommend reading Zora Neale Hurston's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Zora Neale Hurston still writing new books?
- Yes, Zora Neale Hurston has 1 ongoing series: Standalone Novels.