Books like The hermit-woman by Gayl Jones

Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer‑winning work follows Sethe, an escaped slave living in post‑Civil War Ohio, as she confronts the traumatic past that rises again in the form of a mysterious child named Beloved.

Zora Neale Hurston’s Pulitzer‑winning novel follows Janie Crawford’s journey of self‑discovery and empowerment, mapping her search for love, independence, and identity against the backdrop of the African‑American South during the early 20th century.

The Warmth of Other Suns is a non‑fiction study of the Great Migration, tracing the journey of nearly six million African Americans from the South to northern and western cities between 1915 and 1970.

A bold exploration of pregnancy, childbirth, and artistic expression through verse, prose, and dialogue.

In this passionate new collection, Kevin Young takes up a range of African American griefs and passages. He opens with the beautiful “Elegy for Miss Brooks,” invoking Gwendolyn Brooks, who died in 2000, and who makes a perfect muse for the volume: “What the devil / are we without you?” he asks. “I tuck your voice, laced / tight, in these brown shoes.” In that spirit of intimate community, Young gives us a saucy ballad of Jim Crow, a poem about Lionel Hampton's last concert in Paris, an “African Elegy,” which addresses the tragic loss of a close friend in conjunction with the first anniversary of 9/11, and a series entitled “Americana,” in which we encounter a clutch of mythical southern towns, such as East Jesus (“The South knows ruin & likes it / thataway―the barns becoming / earth again, leaning in―”) and West Hell (“Sin, thy name is this / wait―this place― / a long ways from Here / to There”). *For the Confederate Dead* finds Young, more than ever before, in a poetic space that is at once public and personal. In the marvelous “Guernica,” Young’s account of a journey through Spain blends with the news of an American lynching, prompting him to ask, “Precious South, / must I save you, / or myself?” In this surprising book, the poet manages to do a bit of both, embracing the contradictions of our “Confederate” legacy and the troubled nation where that legacy still lingers.

A collection of American short stories by Edith Wharton.

Sojourner "Mosquito" Jane Johnson, an African‑American truck driver in a south Texas border town, unwittingly becomes a key figure in a sanctuary movement for Mexican immigrants, navigating complex human ties and her own growing convictions.

Faith healer Harlan Jane Eagleton travels the American South, restoring bodies and minds while recalling a past that spans rock‑star management, beauty work, and a vanished husband, all told in reverse to reveal the mystery of her first healing.

A stark novel tracing how the memory of slavery haunts African‑American women, centering on Ursa, a blues singer forced to confront the legacy of her 19th‑century generational master.

"Holding Their Own provides a lively overview of the often unrecognized contributions and experiences of American women during the Depression. Harvard historian Susan Ware analyzes the survival of feminism, the impact of popular culture, and the changing role of women at home and at work, and considers the achievements of such extraordinary women as Amelia Earhart, Lillian Hellman, Clare Boothe and Emma Goldman in the context of their time."--Book cover.

Anjail Rashida Ahmad's powerful exploration of African American women's heritage and pride in language and tradition.

A poetic journey through the Underground Railroad and the pursuit of freedom for African Americans.