Captivating Books Penned by Black Women: Pages from my Bookshelf

It should be no secret by now that I simply love reading. I’ve spoken about self-growth books and memoirs but today I am going to speak about something close to my heart. I simply had to dedicate my latest addition to my Pages from my Bookshelf series to black women authors.

Maame by Jessica George

In Jessica George’s novel Maame, Maddie’s life in London is anything but rewarding. Burdened with the primary care of her father and dealing with an overbearing mother living in Ghana. Maddie struggles at work with a difficult boss and the isolation of being the only Black person in meetings.

When her mother returns, Maddie seizes the chance to move out and embrace new experiences. She finds a flatshare, socializes more, pushes for career recognition, and dives into internet dating. However, a sudden tragedy forces her to confront the realities of her family dynamics. The risks and rewards of living authentically.

Maame is a smart, funny, and deeply affecting story. It addresses themes like familial duty, racism, female pleasure, love, and friendship. It poignantly captures the struggle of being torn between two cultures and celebrates the journey to finding one’s true home. Jessica George is an incredibly talented black woman author who is worthy of your bookshelf.

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer feeling overwhelmed by life’s pressures. Shane Hall, a reclusive and enigmatic award-winning novelist, unexpectedly appears in New York, shocking the literary world.

When Eva and Shane meet at a literary event, the chemistry is undeniable. Stirring up past traumas and intrigue among the Black literati. Unknown to everyone, Eva and Shane had a passionate, week-long romance fifteen years ago as teenagers. Despite pretending not to know each other, they’ve been communicating through their books over the years.

Seven Days in June offers sharp insights into the creative life in America. The joys and complexities of motherhood, and the dynamics of family relationships. Yet another talented black woman author that deserves a read.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature that portrays the lives of black women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. Sisters Celie and Nettie, separated as girls, maintain their bond through letters over twenty years.

Celie is abused by the man she calls ‘father’ and trapped in a loveless marriage. She finds strength through her friendship with the independent singer Shug Avery. This relationship helps Celie discover her own power and joy. Ultimately leading to her liberation and reunion with her loved ones.

Beloved by generations, this book broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse. Highlighting black women’s pain, struggle, companionship, and resilience. Walker’s deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined narrative takes readers on a journey toward redemption and love.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered one of the most influential novels of the twentieth century. Originally published in 1937, this books brings to life a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.

Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person—no mean feat for a black woman in the ’30s. Janie’s quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots. Zora Neale Hurston is amongst some of the greatest and most famous black women authors and is a must read.

Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C Ford

Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley C. Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there. She doesn’t know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates. When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father’s incarceration . . . and Ashley’s entire world is turned upside down.

Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.

You can shop my list of books by black women authors on Amazon or scroll down. Let me know in the comments what your favorite books by black women are or reach out on Instagram