Their Eyes Were Watching God - Novel Ideas

Considered one of the most important novels of the twentieth century, author Zora Neale Hurston’s novel—initially considered a failure—breathes new life into the traditional southern novel by infusing her story with a strong female protagonist, a careful mix of humor and pathos, and text rich with colloquialisms true to her characters. Set in Florida, Janie Crawford is recalling her life to a friend over an extended flashback. Janie tells her life story in three parts, those parts based on her three marriages. Hurston provides readers with a character that deals head-first with gender roles, the value of women in relationships and society, and race in America. This true classic has gone from being out of print and relative obscurity to being one of pioneering endurance and refusal to succumb to traditional storytelling.