Their Eyes Were Watching God

Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Author: Zora Neale Hurston
Genre: Black Southern, set in Florida in the early 20th century
Pages: 240
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****
Reviewed by: Ben and Jenn
Description: This book follows the life of Janie Crawford, a woman living in one of the first all-black towns in Florida. She repeatedly struggles to choose between following society's expectations for her (especially as a wife) versus the desires of her heart. A classic piece of black literature written in a beautifully poetic voice, Their Eyes Were Watching God shows how freedom pertains to a lot more than just slavery.
Thoughts: Jenn listened to the audio version of this book, and would highly recommend Ruby Dee's rendition. Her reading is fabulous, making the book really come alive. Overall, we both really enjoyed this book. The plot moves very quickly, and Hurston has some way of planting beautiful little gems of truth on every page. The story is really about standing for something (black/woman power!), but let it also be a self-evaluation as each page teaches something about dreaming, loving, and living. It helped both of us recognize what we're really working towards.
Disclaimer: There is a brief mention of premarital intimacy, luckily without any details. No worse than a PG -- this book was quite clean.