Here are the 5 books that changed my life forever

A few books have had a profound impact on my life. And these were not just any "books." They were some of the heaviest and most important books that I have ever read. Every one of these books changed my life for the better.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

The first book that comes to mind is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. This book is her memoir, and it took place during her formative years in Alabama and later New York City among primarily black communities. This book was eye-opening, showing me a side of the black experience that I had never seen before. It made me more aware of the black struggle and helped to shape my identity as a black woman.

It is considered a classic of the Harlem Renaissance and Hurston's best-known work. The novel explores main character Janie Crawford's "ripening from a vibrant, but voiceless, teenage girl into a woman with her finger on the trigger of her destiny." As a noted American feminist text, the book has been banned numerous times because of its explicit content.

The novel follows Janie Crawford from her young adulthood through the end of her days as she tries to be accepted by a white society that does not understand her. Janie is an independent woman who does not need a man to define her, and this is something that I could relate to when reading because at 18 years old. Well, you know what happens. This book opened my eyes to the struggles faced by black women and gave me a sense of pride in knowing that I am not alone.

A Street In Bronzeville

If you want to write well about anything, then take in everything around you, especially what moves people like the streets in Chicago. Gwendolyn Brooks so aptly stated that in her Pulitzer Prize-winning book of poetry, "A Street In Bronzeville," "The blues tell the story of every man who ever was and every man who ever will be." Through each word she writes, we see how all aspects of the city represent the people even when they try their hardest or sometimes don't try to do so. Gwendolyn Brooks's first book of poetry, A Street in Bronzeville (1945), introduced characters in a segregated urban area unknown to many in America's reading public but closely resembling Chicago's South Side. Bronzeville was an enigma.

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye is another book that significantly impacted my life. Not just because it's written solely by an African-American author speaking as somebody coming from Black America into Eurocentric culture but because it teaches us something about race relations here outside within our borders called home too. It is a novel about a young girl, Pecola Breedlove, who yearns for the blue eyes that her mother and all women of her background are supposed to have. Morrison has a way of making the novel captivating and giving it an emotional punch that speaks volumes about the content. The Bluest Eye is a novel that I could never forget.

Just like the novel spans a variety of settings and themes, the layering of complex messages about black identity, race relations in America, and the intricacies of human experience makes the novel profound.

Love Child's Hotbed of Occasional Poetry

One book that caught my attention and made me think about the black struggle in America is Love Child's Hotbed of Occasional Poetry by Nikki Finney. The book comprises the writer's personal experiences, thoughts, and observations about growing up black in America. Finney's writing is lyrical, passionate, and fearless as she tackles tough subjects like racism, poverty, and drug addiction.

This book is riveting because of the unique perspective on the black experience in America, including an inquisitor's point of view. Finney is unafraid to confront the ugly truths about racism and poverty, and she offers hope and inspiration for the future. Her writing is heartfelt and powerful, and I think it's a must-read for anyone interested in the black experience in America.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first of seven autobiographical works by American writer Maya Angelou. The book chronicles her life from age 3 through 16, recounting an unsettled and sometimes traumatic childhood that included rape and racism. She placed herself back in the time she wrote about, even during traumatic experiences like her rape in Caged Bird, to "tell the human truth" about her life. Critic Opal Moore says about Caged Bird: "... Though easily read, [it] is no 'easy read'".

I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings during my sophomore year of college, and it was an incredibly eye-opening experience. Maya Angelou wrote this book at sixteen years old in response to questions her son's teachers were asking him related to why he experienced trouble reading at grade level despite his intelligence. I believe that Angelou's decision to write the book—and her raw, unedited writing style—makes the reader feel what she experienced. As a child going through such hardships, she never lost track of how much power poetry has to connect with readers personally.

The Verdict

All of these books helped shape the woman I am today. They showed me different perspectives and experiences that I would have never known otherwise. Each of these books is powerful in its unique way, and I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in expanding their literary horizons.