Zora Neale Hurston Reading Order
8 series · 68 books
Zora Neale Hurston was a pioneering African American writer and anthropologist who documented the folklore, spiritual practices, and oral traditions of the American South and Caribbean during the early twentieth century. Her work combined literary fiction with ethnographic research, exploring themes of racial identity and cultural resilience through both novels and scholarly investigations into Hoodoo and Vodou. Though she wrote across multiple genres including fiction, anthropology, and drama, she remains best known for her 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, a groundbreaking exploration of female independence and self-discovery in the Jim Crow era South.
Anthologies Series
Likely Complete16 books (1959–2025)
Start with The Saturday Review Gallery, the first of 15 books in the Anthologies series.
Start this series with The Saturday Review Gallery
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Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas (MELA) Series
Complete3 books (1950–2008)
Start with Chinatown Family (Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas(By: Lin Yutang,C. Lok Chua) and read in order.
Start this series with Chinatown Family (Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas(By: Lin Yutang,C. Lok Chua)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
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.
Start this series with How It Feels to Be Colored Me
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Picture Series
Likely Complete3 books (2006–2023)
Start with The Three Witches(With: Joyce Carol Thomas) and read in order.
Start this series with The Three Witches(With: Joyce Carol Thomas)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
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.
Start this series with Three Plays: Lawing and Jawing; Forty Yards; Woofing
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
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.
Start this series with Drenched in Light
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
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.
Start this series with Mules and Men
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Standalone Novels Series
Ongoing6 books (1934–2025)
Start with Jonah's Gourd Vine, the first of 6 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Start this series with Jonah's Gourd Vine
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Zora Neale Hurston written?
- Zora Neale Hurston has written 68 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.