10 Books by Black Women to Read During Times of Uncertainty
These masterworks, pulled from the ZORA Canon, show us how to live, imagine, and strive in precarious times
For more than 160 years, Black women have helped us make sense of the world, introduced us to unshakable characters, and ushered us into new experiences through written works. Now more than ever, we can lean into that writing to understand and escape our circumstances. Even for just a bit. That is why the editors of ZORA carefully selected 10 books from our robust ZORA Canon to help you during this time. These books show us how to live, imagine, and strive in uncertainty.
Parable of the Sower
by Octavia E. Butler
It is California in the early 2020s, and climate change is wreaking havoc on the Golden State. Lauren Olamina is a teenager with hyper empathy. Though this gift is incredibly draining, she must harness it in order to save her loved ones from danger.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
This groundbreaking novel by the Harlem Renaissance novelist and anthropologist focuses on the emerging autonomy and maturation of Janie Crawford as she endures multiple…
