Have you started reading The Zora Cannon? Created by Zora, Medium’s online space for women of color, this list collects the 100 greatest books by African American women. Almost all of these books are available to read now on SimplyE with your library card. Just open the SimplyE app, search for the title of the book you’re looking for, and click “get” to start reading. 

Here are a few of our favorites (descriptions courtesy of The Zora Project): 

Quicksand by Nella Larsen (1928)

Loosely influenced by Nella Larsen’s own life, Quicksand tells the story of Helga Crane, a biracial Black woman who partakes in a series of adventures across the United States and Denmark to find a place where she can finally fit in.

 

 

 

The Street by Petry (1946)

A single Black mother is at the forefront of this story. Lutie, the main character, struggles with racism, classism, and sexism during World War II as she endeavors toward the American dream for herself and her son.

 

 

 

Jubilee by Margaret Walker (1966)

Three periods of American history—slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction—are covered through the centering of one enslaved biracial girl named Vyry.

 

 

 

 

Sula by Toni Morrison (1973)

The timeless story of two Black female friends within a tight-knit Ohio community and how their lives take different paths as they explore how to reconcile their gender and its limitations.

 

 

 

 

Sassafrass, Cypress, & Indigo by Ntozake Shange (1982)

A novel about three Black sisters from the South Carolina Low Country who pursue their artistic dreams. This story examines a multitude of topics ranging from spirituality to community, foodways to Gullah Geechee culture, gender to sexuality.

 

 

 

Ugly Ways by Tina McElroy Ansa (1993)

Mudear has died, and her three grown daughters have to come home to Mulberry to bury her. But upon their arrival, they soon realize that their mother is not the only thing that needs burying as family wounds are uncovered and truths are revealed.

 

 

 

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (2011)

A National Book Award winner, this story highlights the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, when one Mississippian family must prepare for the worst and still maintain some sense of normalcy.

 

 

 

 

Don't forget to "return" your e-books and audiobooks when you're done—the sooner you return them, the sooner someone else can use them.