10 Must-Read Books by Black Women Authors
Your bookshelf should contain reads by Charmaine Wilkerson, Dawnie Walton, Michelle Obama, and Oyinkan Braithwaite.
Literature would lose its essence in all time periods if it weren’t for the writing of Black women. Pioneering authors Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou, and Alice Walker set the tone, whose works are just as timely and iconic today as they were upon release. These women also paved the way for modern book laureates, like Charmaine Wilkerson, Tomi Adeyemi, and Zadie Smith.
Below, BET.com lists Black women-authored books that you should flip through next.
Charmaine Wilkerson – “Black Cake”
In Charmaine Wilkerson’s fictional novel Black Cake, the relationship between siblings Byron and Benny comes undone following the death of their mother, Eleanor. Secrets uncovered after Eleanor’s death change the family’s dynamic for good and eventually heal them.
Danyel Smith – “Shine Bright”
In her memoir Shine Bright, legendary music journalist and former VIBE editor-in-chief Danyel Smith details her connection with R&B and pop classics by maverick female artists and how they soundtracked her California upbringing.
Dawnie Walton – “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev”
Music journalist Sunny Shelton tries to decode the mysterious circumstances around her musician father’s death while documenting the reunion between interracial rock ‘n’ roll duo Opal Jewel and Nev Charles in Dawnie Walton’s first novel.
Evette Dionne – “Weightless”
Author, editor and journalist Evette Dionne breaks apart expectations set against fat Black women and comes to terms with her wellness, lifestyle and relationships in her freeing debut memoir “Weightless.”
Michelle Obama – “The Light We Carry”
The Former First Lady follows her first memoir, “Becoming,” with “The Light We Carry,” inspiring readers to better navigate their lives and strengthen their self-belief in times of hardship.
Oyinkan Braithwaite – “My Sister the Serial Killer”
In “My Sister the Serial Killer,” Nigerian woman Korede attempts to correct the missteps of her sister, Ayoola, who’s repeatedly battered a series of boyfriends. Oyinkan Braithwaite accurately captures family dysfunction and the difficulties of breaking generational curses.
Tomi Adeyemi – “Children of Blood and Bone”
In Tomi Adeymi’s “Children of Blood and Bone,” soon to have a movie adaptation, heroine Zélie Adebola fights for the restoration of the kingdom of Orïsha in a fight against ruthless emperor King Saran.
Zadie Smith – “The Fraud”
The historical novel “The Fraud” finds author Zadie Smith bringing to life a complex fraud trial involving an enslaved man on a sugar plantation and a Scottish widow.
Zakiya Dalila Harris – “The Other Black Girl”
Editorial assistant Nella Rogers starts on friendly terms with Hazel, a second Black woman hired at her publishing firm, before she begins to question her mysterious background.
