Their Eyes Were Watching God

 

By Zora Neale Hurston

Janie Crawford never knew her mother or her father. She was raised by Nanny, her grandmother. Her grandmother was born into slavery and her mother was raped by a white man. Her mother left Janie with Nanny and disappeared. Nanny worried about Janie's future, concerned that she would end up like her mother. So when Janie grew up a beauty, Nanny decided it would be best if Janie married right away and thus be under the protection and rule of her husband. And so she convinced Janie to marry Logan Killicks. But Logan was a hard man and he slapped Janie around. When a sweet talking man, Joe Starks, came around, Janie gladly left Logan and went off with Joe to start a new life in a town being constructed in Florida. 

Joe opened a grocery store in the town, Eatonville, and built a two story house and soon became the mayor of Eatonville and a big deal in the tiny town. But Joe was a jealous husband and criticized Janie and they gradually became estranged, although their marriage lasted twenty years until his death from kidney disease. 

Now Janie was a wealthy widow and she had lots of men hanging around hoping to get a chance at her. But she was not interested. Until Vergible Woods, aka Tea Cake, arrived in Eatonville. He charmed her and amused her and won her and she left Eatonville with him. He was a guitar player and a gambler and field hand and he made friends everywhere he went. Sometimes she doubted him, but eventually she realized he was the love of her life and she was willing to follow him to whatever crazy location his travels took him.

Overall, I like the story. However, I did skip some of the men's conversations. I would read a couple paragraphs, but it was all big talk and BS and I just don't have the patience for such nonsense. I suppose it was meant to be humorous or illustrative of the man-talk of that time but it was just annoying. Other than that, I did enjoy the story, although the dialect sometimes required a couple of readings to understand the language. I was glad Janie found her true love after her two disappointing marriages.

See also a review by Kirkus Reviews.