Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - A Short Summary & Review
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - A Short Summary & Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
A short summary:
Framed as a conversation between friends, Their Eyes Were Watching God invites the reader to sit down and truly listen. Janie Crawford tells the story of her life, not as gossip, but as testimony, recounting her marriages, losses, joys, and hard-earned self-knowledge.
Through Janie’s journey, Zora Neale Hurston explores a woman’s search for autonomy in a world eager to define her happiness for her. Janie’s story moves through love and disappointment, silence and voice, until she claims ownership of her own narrative. What emerges is not just a life story, but an affirmation that experience itself is wisdom.
My favorite quote from the book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My review:
This book speaks with authority and grace.
Their Eyes Were Watching God is a reminder to stay true to yourself, to your happiness, and to your story, even when others try to rewrite it for you. Janie’s growth is neither linear nor easy, but it is honest. Each relationship teaches her something essential about freedom, dignity, and love.
Hurston’s language is rich, lyrical, and rooted in voice. The novel insists that listening, really listening, is an act of respect. By the end, Janie’s strength lies not in defiance alone, but in her refusal to let anyone else define the meaning of her life.
This is a novel about becoming whole, and keeping what you’ve earned.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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