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40 Must-Read Books by Women of Color

A list of 40 important novels by women of color. Includes novels for adults and middle grade fiction.
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An American Marriage (Tayari Jones)
An American Marriage
1
Tayari Jones
Americanah (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
Americanah
2
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Beloved (Toni Morrison)
Beloved
3
Toni Morrison
The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)
The Bluest Eye
4
Toni Morrison
Bone (Fae Myenne Ng)
Bone
5
Fae Myenne Ng
The Bone Setter's Daughter (Amy Tan)
The Bone Setter's Daughter
6
Amy Tan
Ceremony (Leslie Marmon Silko)
Ceremony
7
Leslie Marmon Silko
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
The Color Purple
8
Alice Walker
Dreaming in Cuban (Cristina Garcia)
Dreaming in Cuban
9
Cristina Garcia
Esperanza Rising (Pam Muñoz Ryan)
Esperanza Rising
10
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Everything Here Is Beautiful (Mira T. Lee)
Everything Here Is Beautiful
11
Mira T. Lee
Feathers (Jacqueline Woodson)
Feathers
12
Jacqueline Woodson
Half of a Yellow Sun (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
Half of a Yellow Sun
13
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Hello Universe (Erin Entrada Kelly)
Hello Universe
14
Erin Entrada Kelly
How Tia Lola Came to Stay (Julia Alvarez)
How Tia Lola Came to Stay
15
Julia Alvarez
House on Mango Street (Sandra Cisneros)
House on Mango Street
16
Sandra Cisneros
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
17
Maya Angelou
In the Time of the Butterflies (Julia Alvarez)
In the Time of the Butterflies
18
Julia Alvarez
The Inheritance of Loss (Kiran Desai)
The Inheritance of Loss
19
Kiran Desai
Jasmine
Jasmine
20
The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan)
The Joy Luck Club
21
Amy Tan
The Joys of Motherhood (Buchi Emecheta)
The Joys of Motherhood
22
Buchi Emecheta
The Kitchen God's Wife (Amy Tan)
The Kitchen God's Wife
23
Amy Tan
Monkey Bridge (Lan Cao)
Monkey Bridge
24
Lan Cao
The Namesake (Jhumpa Lahiri)
The Namesake
25
Jhumpa Lahiri
Nectar in a Sieve
Nectar in a Sieve
26
Obasan (Joy Kogawa)
Obasan
27
Joy Kogawa
Out of My Mind (Sharon M. Draper)
Out of My Mind
28
Sharon M. Draper
Passing (Nella Larsen)
Passing
29
Nella Larsen
Piecing Me Together (Renee Watson)
Piecing Me Together
30
Renee Watson
Purple Hibiscus
Purple Hibiscus
31
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred D. Taylor)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
32
Mildred D. Taylor
A Single Shard (Linda Sue Park)
A Single Shard
33
Linda Sue Park
Song of a Captive Bird: A Novel (Jasmin Darznik)
Song of a Captive Bird: A Novel
34
Jasmin Darznik
Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison)
Song of Solomon
35
Toni Morrison
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
36
Zora Neale Hurston
Typical American (Gish Jen)
Typical American
37
Gish Jen
When the Emperor Was Divine
When the Emperor Was Divine
38
Where the Mountains Meet the Moon (Grace Lin)
Where the Mountains Meet the Moon
39
Grace Lin
The Woman Warrior (Maxine Hong Kingston)
The Woman Warrior
40
Maxine Hong Kingston
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