In Canada and the United States, February marks Black History Month, where those African Americans who have made significant contributions to the world in the fields of the arts and sciences are recognized. One such author is Zora Neale Hurston (1981-1960), a novelist, anthropologist and filmmaker, who portrayed racial struggles in the American South in much of her work. Appreciation for her work did not grow significantly until after her death.

Hurston’s most well-known novel is Their Eyes Were Watching God. Set in Florida in the early 20th century, this book has Janie Crawford recounting the events of her life, in her own distinctive voice rich in dialect. Though the novel had a poor reception when it was published in 1937, it is now considered a classic of both feminist literature and African American literature. The BBC News included Hurston’s book in its 2019 list of the 100 most influential novels.

Here at Faded Page, we have a number of Hurston’s works, including Dust Tracks on a Road, her 1942 autobiography, and several of her short stories.

Come join us! If you like what we do here on Faded Page and want to help us add more public domain books to the site, come join us and proofread a few pages. For more information about how to volunteer, check out our companion site, Distributed Proofreaders Canada.