April 2, 2025
13 Books By Black Women That Should Be On Your Bookshelf
Each solidifies itself as a must-read.
Books have a way of revisiting the beautiful and ugly parts of history. They can capture the culture, society, and politics of a certain period. As literary time stamps, they are the medium by which the voices and tales of the past are able to inform the present and future. These 13 books by Black women have done so excellently. Each solidifies itself as a must-read. BLACK ENTERPRISE welcomes International Black Women’s History Month by highlighting these works created by Black women authors and thanking them for such powerful contributions.
The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison’s debut novel, published in 1970. It centers on Pecola Breedlove, a Black girl who thinks she will be beautiful and loved if she has blue eyes. In Pecola’s tragic story, Morrison examines sexual assault, racism, colorism, self-worth, mental health, and how societal standards of beauty can impact people’s lives. The novel is renowned for its language, which is rich in imagery, the use of point of view, and the depiction of Black female trauma.
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I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou’s 1969 autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings shares her early life—from childhood in the segregated South through her adolescence in California. It has themes of racism, trauma, identity and resilience. Angelou deals with abandonment, sexual abuse, and low self-esteem but finds her strength through literature and personal development. Its prose is almost lyrical, and its storytelling is very powerful for such a relatively short book. The text was a groundbreaking work in autobiographical writing.
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The Color Purple
The Color Purple is a 1982 novel by Alice Walker that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. The novel is an epistolary primarily told through letters written by the main character, Celie, a Black woman living in rural Georgia during the early 1900s. Celie wrote to God and later to her sister, Nettie. Walker’s award-winning book touches on sexism, child abuse, resilience, and self-discovery. Celie endures abuse and finally finds love, independence, and empowerment through her relationships with other strong women, including Sophia and the vibrant Shug Avery. Its powerful portrayal of Black womanhood makes the novel culturally significant. The book has been banned because of its explicit depictions of abuse and sexuality.
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Nightcrawling
Nightcrawling is the debut novel of Leila Mottley, published in 2022. The narration introduces Kiara, an African American girl who is 17 years old and living in Oakland, California. Kiara struggles to care for herself and her younger brother after their family falls apart. The novel is written in a captivating poetic language. Mottley’s debut gets to the heart of people’s resilience, system failure, and the search for dignity. Nightcrawling was longlisted for the Booker Prize, making Mottley one of the youngest writers to receive the honor.
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The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It’s told from the perspective of Starr Carter, a Black teenager who has to navigate two very different environments: her poor neighborhood and a wealthy prep school. Starr’s world falls apart when she witnesses Khalil, her childhood friend, get shot and killed by the police. Starr is the only witness, and she is immediately pressured by her community, the media, and law enforcement to stay silent. In the middle of all this, Starr tries to find her voice and stand up for what she knows is right. The novel is set against the backdrop of activism and social justice against racism and police violence. It is based on the Black Lives Matter movement.
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One Blood
One Blood, a tale of Black life, lineage, and love, is loosely related to Denene Millner’s real-life experience as an adoptee, which she discovered when she was 12. Though Millner grew up wrapped in the safety and security of her parents and never wanted for a thing—curiosity around her identity and origin grew. And out of that curiosity, grew deeply complex characters. One Blood is written in three parts and follows the generational journey of Grace, Delores, and Rae.
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Sugar
The novel Sugar is a 1999 novel by Bernice L. McFadden. It tells the story of Sugar Lacey, a beautiful and troubled woman who comes to Bigelow, Arkansas, in the 1950s with no clear past. She moves in right next door to Pearl Taylor, a mother who has lost her daughter to a heinous crime and is still mourning her loss. Despite their differences, the two women become inseparable and share a profound and lasting friendship. The novel’s plot encompasses issues of trauma, healing, female solidarity, and strong will.
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Americanah
In Americanah, a novel published in 2013 and written by Nigerian acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The story is narrated through the eyes of Ifemelu, a brave young lady from Nigeria who moves to the USA to pursue a college degree. Along the way, she encounters the bitter side of being a Black woman in America. Despite the difficulties she faces, she is able to have a successful career as a blogger, writing about race and cultural disconnect. Ifemelu discovers who she really is after she goes back to her country. Americanah is a poignant book about identity, love, and self-discovery.
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The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies
Deesha Philyaw’s collection of short stories made waves during the pandemic. Each tale revolved around some relatable issue secret among a diversity of Black women. The secrets ranged from having a lesbian side chick, hooking up with sneaky link during hospital visits, and connecting with a sibling who is deemed a love child.
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Homegoing
Homegoing is a 2016 novel by Yaa Gyasi that tracks the legacy of slavery and colonialism over 250 years of two half-sisters and their descendants. The story starts in 18th-century Ghana with Effia, who is married off to a British slave trader, and Esi, who is captured and sold into slavery in America. Each chapter follows a new generation, exploring themes of identity, trauma, and resilience across centuries, from the Gold Coast to plantations, the Great Migration, and modern America. The storytelling in Gyasi’s hands weaves a powerful, multigenerational narrative about oppression, the search for belonging, and its impact.
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Children of Blood and Bone
Children of Blood and Bone is a 2018 fantasy novel by Tomi Adeyemi, whose inspiration was derived from West African mythology and the Yoruba culture. The principal character is Zélie Adebola, a young girl from the land of Orisha, where magic was eradicated by a heartless king who annihilated the maji and imprisoned their leader, Zélie’s mother. Zélie finds out how to bring back magic, and she has to embark on a perilous journey with her brother, Tzain, and an enemy-turned-friend, Princess Amari. During their fight against oppression, Zélie fights her increasing abilities and the price of a revolution. In addition to its compelling story, Children of Blood and Bone includes richly imagined cultures and characters, making it a thought-provoking and engaging read for fantasy and historical fiction fans. The novel is the first book in the Legacy of Orisha series and explores themes of injustice, resilience, and identity.
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston is praised for accessible writing on dynamic relationships in Their Eyes Were Watching God. This tale, published in 1937, depicts a woman’s freedom from the grip of social norms. Janie returns to her hometown in the South, sets out to rediscover herself, and takes on a young lover.
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Push
Sapphire wrote the book in ebonic vernacular, making it difficult for readers to grasp. However, doing so placed the reader in similar shoes to the protagonist’s own struggle with literacy. Push chronicles the life of Precious, an illiterate teen mom who, with the help of a school social worker, pushes through neglect, physical and sexual abuse from her parents—and challenges with education.
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