Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, 219 pages

Our third and final Hurston book this summer, Their Eyes follows Janie Starks as she attempts to navigate her way through marriage and self-fulfillment. This is a powerful book, and Hurston's writing is positively lyrical throughout the tale of Janie's three marriages: first to Logan Killicks, an older, well-established man; then to Joe Starks, a man with a plan to bring a renaissance to Eatonville (an all-black community in Florida); and finally to Tea Cake, a charming grifter 15 years her junior. Throughout it all, Janie comes into herself, culminating in a shocking (but by all means definitive) conclusion. I loved reading this book. It was excellent.