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Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston
From critically acclaimed journalist Valerie Boyd comes an eloquent profile of one of the most intriguing cultural figures of the twentieth century—Zora Neale Hurston.
A woman of enormous talent and remarkable drive, Zora Neale Hurston published seven books, many short stories, and several articles and plays over a career that spanned more than thirty years. Today, nearly every black woman writer of significance—including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker—acknowledges Hurston as a literary foremother, and her 1937 masterpiece Their Eyes Were Watching God has become a crucial part of the modern literary canon.
Wrapped in Rainbows , the first biography of Zora Neale Hurston in more than twenty-five years, illuminates the adventures, complexities, and sorrows of an extraordinary life. Acclaimed journalist Valerie Boyd delves into Hurston’s history—her youth in the country’s first incorporated all-black town, her friendships with luminaries such as Langston Hughes, her sexuality and short-lived marriages, and her mysterious relationship with vodou. With the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression, and World War II as historical backdrops, Wrapped in Rainbows not only positions Hurston’s work in her time but also offers riveting implications for our own.
A woman of enormous talent and remarkable drive, Zora Neale Hurston published seven books, many short stories, and several articles and plays over a career that spanned more than thirty years. Today, nearly every black woman writer of significance—including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker—acknowledges Hurston as a literary foremother, and her 1937 masterpiece Their Eyes Were Watching God has become a crucial part of the modern literary canon.
Wrapped in Rainbows , the first biography of Zora Neale Hurston in more than twenty-five years, illuminates the adventures, complexities, and sorrows of an extraordinary life. Acclaimed journalist Valerie Boyd delves into Hurston’s history—her youth in the country’s first incorporated all-black town, her friendships with luminaries such as Langston Hughes, her sexuality and short-lived marriages, and her mysterious relationship with vodou. With the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression, and World War II as historical backdrops, Wrapped in Rainbows not only positions Hurston’s work in her time but also offers riveting implications for our own.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
125 people are currently reading
5921 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Boyd
5 books52 followersValerie Boyd was the author of Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston and Spirits in the Dark: The Untold Story of Black Women in Hollywood.
She was an associate professor and the Charlayne Hunter-Gault Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia, where she taught magazine writing, arts reviewing and narrative nonfiction. She also taught creative nonfiction in the graduate writing program at Antioch University in Los Angeles.
Boyd earned a bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1985 and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Goucher College in 1999.
Boyd was an arts editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and she was published in numerous anthologies, magazines and newspapers.
She founded EightRock, a cutting-edge journal of black arts and culture, in 1990. In 1992, she co-founded HealthQuest, the first nationally distributed magazine focusing on African-American health.
Wrapped in Rainbows—the first biography of Zora Neale Hurston in 25 years—was published to wide critical acclaim. It was hailed by Alice Walker as “magnificent” and “extraordinary”; by The Washington Post as “definitive”; by the Boston Globe as “elegant and exhilarating”; and by the Denver Post as “a rich, rich read.”
For her work on Wrapped in Rainbows, Valerie received the Georgia Author of the Year Award in nonfiction as well as an American Library Association Notable Book Award. The Georgia Center for the Book named Wrapped in Rainbows one of the “25 Books That All Georgians Should Read,” and the Southern Book Critics Circle honored it with the 2003 Southern Book Award for best nonfiction of the year.
She was an associate professor and the Charlayne Hunter-Gault Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia, where she taught magazine writing, arts reviewing and narrative nonfiction. She also taught creative nonfiction in the graduate writing program at Antioch University in Los Angeles.
Boyd earned a bachelor’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1985 and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Goucher College in 1999.
Boyd was an arts editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and she was published in numerous anthologies, magazines and newspapers.
She founded EightRock, a cutting-edge journal of black arts and culture, in 1990. In 1992, she co-founded HealthQuest, the first nationally distributed magazine focusing on African-American health.
Wrapped in Rainbows—the first biography of Zora Neale Hurston in 25 years—was published to wide critical acclaim. It was hailed by Alice Walker as “magnificent” and “extraordinary”; by The Washington Post as “definitive”; by the Boston Globe as “elegant and exhilarating”; and by the Denver Post as “a rich, rich read.”
For her work on Wrapped in Rainbows, Valerie received the Georgia Author of the Year Award in nonfiction as well as an American Library Association Notable Book Award. The Georgia Center for the Book named Wrapped in Rainbows one of the “25 Books That All Georgians Should Read,” and the Southern Book Critics Circle honored it with the 2003 Southern Book Award for best nonfiction of the year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
July 7, 2012
Like other reviewers, I found this book impossible to put down. Boyd's biography of Zora Neale Hurston beautifully represents Hurston in all her complexity: novelist, playwright, anthropologist, folklorist, raconteur, individualist. Hurston emerges as an flawed, deeply gifted, experienced woman who lived her life according to her own terms, in the midst of societal constraints that limited her financial resources, but never her autonomy.
Valerie Boyd mentions that one of her goals in writing this biography was to have Zora Neale Hurston's voice come alive. Through extensive quotations from Hurston's letters and other sources, she accomplishes that, and more. The biography provides a rich depiction of Hurston's life through her eyes and the eyes of her friends, associates, and (sometimes) enemies. Wrapped in Rainbows also provides illuminating contextual information, particularly about the Harlem Renaissance, African American cultural politics, the Depression, and life in the 20th-century South. Boyd provides detailed discussions of Hurston's short stories, plays, novels, and anthropological/folklore texts, including a careful reading of Hurston's autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road against the politics of publishing and Hurston's own motivations in masking some parts of her life.
Boyd reveals in detail how difficult Hurston's life was, as she struggled to support herself solely through her writing, a feat that few other African American writers could replicate at the time. She also develops a clear discussion of the complex differences between Hurston and other black writers of the Harlem Renaissance and after, who questioned Hurston's commitment to racial equality because of her refusal to write fiction with an overt political message. A triumph of the biography is that Boyd represents Hurston with all her flaws and all her gifts - Hurston emerges clearly as an individual who deserves our respect for her commitment to honoring her gifts and living her life on her own terms. Through her humor, her humanity, her energy and her love of life, Hurston drew around her a circle of friends and admirers; in many ways, Boyd's biography creates one last party for Hurston to shine in.
Valerie Boyd mentions that one of her goals in writing this biography was to have Zora Neale Hurston's voice come alive. Through extensive quotations from Hurston's letters and other sources, she accomplishes that, and more. The biography provides a rich depiction of Hurston's life through her eyes and the eyes of her friends, associates, and (sometimes) enemies. Wrapped in Rainbows also provides illuminating contextual information, particularly about the Harlem Renaissance, African American cultural politics, the Depression, and life in the 20th-century South. Boyd provides detailed discussions of Hurston's short stories, plays, novels, and anthropological/folklore texts, including a careful reading of Hurston's autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road against the politics of publishing and Hurston's own motivations in masking some parts of her life.
Boyd reveals in detail how difficult Hurston's life was, as she struggled to support herself solely through her writing, a feat that few other African American writers could replicate at the time. She also develops a clear discussion of the complex differences between Hurston and other black writers of the Harlem Renaissance and after, who questioned Hurston's commitment to racial equality because of her refusal to write fiction with an overt political message. A triumph of the biography is that Boyd represents Hurston with all her flaws and all her gifts - Hurston emerges clearly as an individual who deserves our respect for her commitment to honoring her gifts and living her life on her own terms. Through her humor, her humanity, her energy and her love of life, Hurston drew around her a circle of friends and admirers; in many ways, Boyd's biography creates one last party for Hurston to shine in.
December 22, 2023
"She wanted not only books to read, but the kind of life that could fill a book." -Valerie Boyd, Wrapped in Rainbows (p, 59)
Zora Neale Hurston indeed lived a "kind of life that could fill a book" and Valerie Boyd was one of the best writers to do that. After reading Hurston's memoir Dust Tracks on a Road last year, I was so determined and excited to read a full-length biography of her life. I started with Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Biography by Robert Hemenway a few months ago. Hemenway does a great job but as the subtitle suggests his biography of Hurston was more literary criticism of her works than a comprehensive look of her life. Valerie Boyd in Wrapped in Rainbows gives you a nice blend of both Hurston as a person and Hurston as a writer and scholar. It is a more personal biography of Hurston, where you learn about Zora as a reader and other interests in addition to her relationships with Langston Hughes, Charlotte Osgood Mason, James Weldon Johnson, and more. Its a great book to read after you read all of her books because it allows the reader to put her works into context.
Zora Neale Hurston indeed lived a "kind of life that could fill a book" and Valerie Boyd was one of the best writers to do that. After reading Hurston's memoir Dust Tracks on a Road last year, I was so determined and excited to read a full-length biography of her life. I started with Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Biography by Robert Hemenway a few months ago. Hemenway does a great job but as the subtitle suggests his biography of Hurston was more literary criticism of her works than a comprehensive look of her life. Valerie Boyd in Wrapped in Rainbows gives you a nice blend of both Hurston as a person and Hurston as a writer and scholar. It is a more personal biography of Hurston, where you learn about Zora as a reader and other interests in addition to her relationships with Langston Hughes, Charlotte Osgood Mason, James Weldon Johnson, and more. Its a great book to read after you read all of her books because it allows the reader to put her works into context.
February 27, 2011
It has been years since I stayed up past my bedtime to read the last 100 pages of a book that I just cannot put down. Despite having studied Zora Neale Hurston's work (esp. Their Eyes Were Watching God) several times over the course of high school and college, Valerie Boyd's portrayal of the author radically expanded my knowledge and appreciation of Hurston.
In high school, I remember learning that Hurston died poor and was buried in an unmarked grave. Boyd's book made me realize how strongly this imagery had colored my reading of her works. I found Color Struck and Their Eyes Were Watching God to be tragic--such a limited reading and not in the spirit of the optimistic individualism Hurston preached.
I so highly recommend this book, to anyone interested in literary history, the Harlem Renaissance, or the history of the African American experience in the South. But mostly, and most seriously, I recommend this book to any woman who needs a reminder that with grit and spirit, anything is possible.
In high school, I remember learning that Hurston died poor and was buried in an unmarked grave. Boyd's book made me realize how strongly this imagery had colored my reading of her works. I found Color Struck and Their Eyes Were Watching God to be tragic--such a limited reading and not in the spirit of the optimistic individualism Hurston preached.
I so highly recommend this book, to anyone interested in literary history, the Harlem Renaissance, or the history of the African American experience in the South. But mostly, and most seriously, I recommend this book to any woman who needs a reminder that with grit and spirit, anything is possible.
February 20, 2020
This sympathetic, rather in-depth biography of the African American author Zora Neale Hurston was a lively read. I didn't read her books in college, but they're on many required reading lists now. Many things surprised me which I won't mention here. The biographer offers the reasons why ZNH made certain decisions which is helpful. The discussions of her fiction and nonfiction books are insightful and make me want to read them. I'm glad I chose it to read.
June 11, 2014
4.5 stars - I absolutely loved this biography. It was extremely well-researched and rendered so passionately that it was very hard to turn away from the page. I especially enjoyed reading of Zora's time in school in Maryland, and then at Howard and Barnard; her intense friendship with Langston Hughes; her tireless work recording the ways of the "lowest among us" in the South and Caribbean; her rise to literary fame; and her ardent desire to write, direct, produce, and star in her own theatrical productions.
But there were two things that kept me from rating it 5 stars: the length began to bother me early on, which is strange because I've zoomed through lengthier books in much shorter time. I think Boyd may have dilly dallied a little too much on certain subjects, especially when much of it was speculation. I also felt Boyd wasn't objective at all, but wrote from a fan/admirer's point of view. Zora could practically do no wrong, even when it was obvious she was very much in the wrong. As someone who admires Zora immensely, I still want the entire truth, not a starry eyed rendition of events.
Outside of those two issues, this book was amazing. SERIOUSLY. Anyone interested in Zora, or the Harlem Renaissance, or African American history, will enjoy this bio (which is more like a love letter) dedicated to one of our great American literary masters.
But there were two things that kept me from rating it 5 stars: the length began to bother me early on, which is strange because I've zoomed through lengthier books in much shorter time. I think Boyd may have dilly dallied a little too much on certain subjects, especially when much of it was speculation. I also felt Boyd wasn't objective at all, but wrote from a fan/admirer's point of view. Zora could practically do no wrong, even when it was obvious she was very much in the wrong. As someone who admires Zora immensely, I still want the entire truth, not a starry eyed rendition of events.
Outside of those two issues, this book was amazing. SERIOUSLY. Anyone interested in Zora, or the Harlem Renaissance, or African American history, will enjoy this bio (which is more like a love letter) dedicated to one of our great American literary masters.
March 4, 2021
A well-done biography. Zora Neale Hurston led a fascinating life, staying true to herself as best as she could under any circumstances she found herself in. The biography did feel a tiny bit long at times, but I think the author would have been hard-pressed to trim sections very much. Overall, a very satisfying read.
February 17, 2009
Being a fan of African-American classic literature, I naturally was a fan of Zora Neale Hurston's most acclaimed classic 'There Eyes Were Watching God'. After instantly falling in love with the sheer talent of Hurston in this novel, I was intrigued by the psyche of Hurston and wanted to read and learn more about this wonderful person. This book is superbly written with consistent evidence of a well-resourced biography. This book offers a plethora of information that makes the reader more personally connected to Hurston.
August 11, 2009
Excellent account. Boyd is fond of her subject, did impeccable research, and got it right. Read the Laurie Leach biography of Langston Hughes, too.
Read
December 9, 2014I was obsessed with Alice Walker when I first read Zora Neale Hurston’s books, and both women/writers intrigued me with their connection to the earth, people and the word. Walker is credited with unearthing interest in Hurston in the first place, rediscovering her writing and anthropological research into black culture; and Valerie Boyd completed the story by thoroughly delving into every nook and cranny of Hurston’s life. And that’s not a light feat, as Hurston was wont to stretch the truth (i.e., lie) about most of her life story, bending the truth as it befitted her cause of the moment. But at heart she was a girl from a broken family, who turned to writing and became one of the inspirational African American writers of the Harlem Renaissance, writing prolifically – poems, essays, research papers, fiction – all about black folks. And that was one of the keys to her writing that Boyd takes pains to distinguish: Hurston wanted the freedom to just write about what she wanted to write about, without the societal pressure to Richard-Wright it all and be the voice of The Black Experience. She understood that life is that experience, and you don’t need to call it out or title it in order to appease anyone.
You’ve read or watched the movie version of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Get to know the woman who traveled to Haiti and immersed herself in Hoodoo culture, wrote (fought with, loved) alongside luminaries like Langston Hughes, protested the U.S. handling of race relations, and struggled at every turn to just remain herself. Boyd’s book allows you to find the woman behind the scenes, unadorned and whole.
Verdict: Borrow. This is one of those books that should be passed along, dog-eared and underlined, and accompanied by passionate recommendations and entreaties (“I can’t even tell you about it – just read it, please!”). Then you can discuss it, highlight the bits you love, and pass it along for someone else to enjoy.
From Buy, Borrow, Bypass: Biographies of Women from the 1920s, Roaring by Alison Peters: http://bookriot.com/2014/12/08/buy-bo...)
You’ve read or watched the movie version of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Get to know the woman who traveled to Haiti and immersed herself in Hoodoo culture, wrote (fought with, loved) alongside luminaries like Langston Hughes, protested the U.S. handling of race relations, and struggled at every turn to just remain herself. Boyd’s book allows you to find the woman behind the scenes, unadorned and whole.
Verdict: Borrow. This is one of those books that should be passed along, dog-eared and underlined, and accompanied by passionate recommendations and entreaties (“I can’t even tell you about it – just read it, please!”). Then you can discuss it, highlight the bits you love, and pass it along for someone else to enjoy.
From Buy, Borrow, Bypass: Biographies of Women from the 1920s, Roaring by Alison Peters: http://bookriot.com/2014/12/08/buy-bo...)
April 27, 2016
This is a very good biography, as far as I can tell, and a good resource, if you happen to teach anything by Zora Neale Hurston. While it took me a long time (in months, not pages) to get used to Boyd's style of narration (somehow it felt a little artificial, or a little too dreamy - I put it aside for two years), I later had a ball reading this, once I went past the childhood section.
Maybe it is the biographer's angle, but it strikes me how modern Hurston comes across as; unwilling to compromise her self or do what others expected her to do unless it allowed her to grow on her own terms. Yet this book not only gave me a much deeper understanding of Hurston's life and views, it also suggested many resources and short bits of writing I used while teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God. Find an essay on High John de Conquer, a folklore figure, here: https://www.unz.org/Pub/AmMercury-194... (bear in mind that the first and last paragraphs were changed to more uplifting per editor's request), and, as a bonus, a lesson plan I found online on folklore in Their Eyes Were Watching God: https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED47... )
Maybe it is the biographer's angle, but it strikes me how modern Hurston comes across as; unwilling to compromise her self or do what others expected her to do unless it allowed her to grow on her own terms. Yet this book not only gave me a much deeper understanding of Hurston's life and views, it also suggested many resources and short bits of writing I used while teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God. Find an essay on High John de Conquer, a folklore figure, here: https://www.unz.org/Pub/AmMercury-194... (bear in mind that the first and last paragraphs were changed to more uplifting per editor's request), and, as a bonus, a lesson plan I found online on folklore in Their Eyes Were Watching God: https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED47... )
Want to read
January 18, 2011To be honest I wanted to read this book because I had read once that Zora Neale Hurston was a lesbian, a part of the glbt history that I am interested in. However, there is no concrete mention in this book that she is/was a lesbian.
I did however appreciate Valerie Boyd's extensive look in the life of Zora Neale Hurston. Zora was an amazing woman in my opinion. She was a strong person and had a strong personality which enabled her to make connections with certain wealthy benefactors during that time.
She was acquainted with numerous other Harlem Renaissance African-American writers, which for me seemed to make the history come even more alive.
Zora became an anthropologist, studying extensively her own culture and way of life. I can't even imagine the volumes that she wrote regarding her research. She was able to become a part of the community that she was studying, whether it was a former slave, a Haitian dancer or voodoo.
This book kept my attention and I certainly found it a fascinating read regarding a woman of color who had made a name for herself during her time and fortunately into the future.
I did however appreciate Valerie Boyd's extensive look in the life of Zora Neale Hurston. Zora was an amazing woman in my opinion. She was a strong person and had a strong personality which enabled her to make connections with certain wealthy benefactors during that time.
She was acquainted with numerous other Harlem Renaissance African-American writers, which for me seemed to make the history come even more alive.
Zora became an anthropologist, studying extensively her own culture and way of life. I can't even imagine the volumes that she wrote regarding her research. She was able to become a part of the community that she was studying, whether it was a former slave, a Haitian dancer or voodoo.
This book kept my attention and I certainly found it a fascinating read regarding a woman of color who had made a name for herself during her time and fortunately into the future.
March 6, 2015
In some ways, this was the ideal biography experience: I knew very little about Hurston going in, so I was all the more entranced by Boyd's effective and almost novelistic retelling of her life: audible gasps were heard as Hurston's friendship with Langston Hughes slowly came apart under pressure and then again when, late in life, terrible accusations damaged her reputation and (at least temporarily) dimmed her effervescence. Hurston is a terrific subject for a biography, simultaneously famous yet neglected, and vibrant yet flawed, and Boyd is a remarkable biographer. I admired her unapologetic advocacy for Hurston as a writer and a person--if your biographer isn't on your side, who is?--as well as her analysis and her powerful narrative pull. As the record of the influences and life of a remarkable writer, as a segment of cultural history, and as a document of the artistic and political controversies of black America, Wrapped in Rainbows is a must-read.
March 29, 2014
What a tremendous biography. I was first introduced to Zora Neale Hurston through I Love Myself When I’m Laughing...& Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive (A Zora Neale Hurston Reader), anthology edited by Alice Walker. Since then I’ve meant to read more of her work but always found her a bit intimidating. After reading Valerie Boyd’s biography of Zora Neale Hurston her books will definitely move up the ladder on my to be read list.
Valerie Boyd must have spent years researching her subject in order to produce such an in depth portrait of Ms. Hurston’s life. The author of such classics as Their Eyes Were Watching God and Jonah’s Gourd Vine really comes alive through Boyd’s writing. Her genius, her courage, her bravery, and her flaws - it’s all here. Wrapped in Rainbows is the March selection of my book club. I am so glad this book was chosen.
Valerie Boyd must have spent years researching her subject in order to produce such an in depth portrait of Ms. Hurston’s life. The author of such classics as Their Eyes Were Watching God and Jonah’s Gourd Vine really comes alive through Boyd’s writing. Her genius, her courage, her bravery, and her flaws - it’s all here. Wrapped in Rainbows is the March selection of my book club. I am so glad this book was chosen.
Read
August 21, 2009I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it slowly. Valerie Boyd is a magician, she managed to capture the essence of a woman who has always been a somewhat difficult subject (much of Hurston's belongings were lost after she died) and managed to personalize her, in a genuine voice. This is a great book!
November 4, 2014
zora & I went rollicking in spring courtesy of valerie boyd!!!! never have i ever been so connected to a passion as i was connected to zoras need to express her love for who we were & our culture....Easily one of the best story tellers Ive ever Read !!! I will read z forever
October 28, 2014
Insightful, Captivating & Informative!
April 14, 2025
The life story of early 20th century Black novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, as told by Valerie Boyd, is one of the best biographies I've ever read. I can't say enough about Boyd's brilliance: the depth of her research and the incisive analysis of her subject's personality, decisions, and writings. I learned a lot about Hurston and the times she lived in, and I found so many ideas to ponder.
A salient feature of Hurston's life was her childhood in an all-Black community in Florida. The importance of her growing up where whites were barely thought about, in a town where Blacks ran everything, cannot be overstated. In spite of difficulties in her family, especially the untimely loss of her only supportive parent, the experience of living in Eatonville was key to Hurston's sense of herself and her possibilities. It also shaped her highly individualistic outlook on the issues of the day.
I had not realized how much of Hurston's worklife was involved with serious anthropological pursuits, as her gift for collecting Black Southern folklore and customs was soon recognized after she scrambled to get an education -- lying about her age in order to go to high school and eventually ending up at Barnard. She brought back troves of cultural information from the Bahamas and Haiti, too, going so far as to apprentice herself to voodoo leaders and be honored by them.
The book recounts Hurston's friendships during the Harlem Renaissance -- especially with Langston Hughes, before they fell out over a collaborative theater project. It shows how she found and managed wealthy benefactors to reach her goals. Off and on for her whole life, she took a hodgepodge of jobs, although she tried to support herself solely on her writing. Once, in her 50s and cleaning for extra cash, she flumoxed an employer who discovered by accident that the cleaning lady was a famous author.
Hurston cut sections of her novels willingly if the publishers thought white audiences couldn't handle them. But Boyd skillfully shows how Hurston kept the messages in her books by using humor and subtle indirection. In spite of such compromises and the resulting successes, Hurston died a pauper.
I wish I could convey how rich Hurston's story is in Boyd's hands and how much like an adventure it reads -- which, as Alice Walker says on the book jacket, it is. Valerie Boyd died last February at the age of 58. There's a beautiful obituary at the *Washington Post.*
A salient feature of Hurston's life was her childhood in an all-Black community in Florida. The importance of her growing up where whites were barely thought about, in a town where Blacks ran everything, cannot be overstated. In spite of difficulties in her family, especially the untimely loss of her only supportive parent, the experience of living in Eatonville was key to Hurston's sense of herself and her possibilities. It also shaped her highly individualistic outlook on the issues of the day.
I had not realized how much of Hurston's worklife was involved with serious anthropological pursuits, as her gift for collecting Black Southern folklore and customs was soon recognized after she scrambled to get an education -- lying about her age in order to go to high school and eventually ending up at Barnard. She brought back troves of cultural information from the Bahamas and Haiti, too, going so far as to apprentice herself to voodoo leaders and be honored by them.
The book recounts Hurston's friendships during the Harlem Renaissance -- especially with Langston Hughes, before they fell out over a collaborative theater project. It shows how she found and managed wealthy benefactors to reach her goals. Off and on for her whole life, she took a hodgepodge of jobs, although she tried to support herself solely on her writing. Once, in her 50s and cleaning for extra cash, she flumoxed an employer who discovered by accident that the cleaning lady was a famous author.
Hurston cut sections of her novels willingly if the publishers thought white audiences couldn't handle them. But Boyd skillfully shows how Hurston kept the messages in her books by using humor and subtle indirection. In spite of such compromises and the resulting successes, Hurston died a pauper.
I wish I could convey how rich Hurston's story is in Boyd's hands and how much like an adventure it reads -- which, as Alice Walker says on the book jacket, it is. Valerie Boyd died last February at the age of 58. There's a beautiful obituary at the *Washington Post.*
July 14, 2009
I don't read too many biographies, but, as Ms. Hurston is one of my favorite authors and inspired me to study anthropology, I picked this up. Ms. Boyd's work reads as easily as a novel. Zora Neale Hurston's inimitable personality shines throughout a fascinating life of highs (e.g., the Harlem Renaissance, folklore-collecting expeditions), and not-so-highs (as a maid later in life--her employer didn't even know of her literary accomplishments!). Ms. Hurston demonstrated some interesting and controversial opinions, but I'd say few would criticize the zeal with which she attacked her personal and professional pursuits. It all makes for great reading!
December 17, 2014
Before reading about the life of Zora Neale Hurston, I admit, I was woefully ignorant of how important her work is for women in general and African American women in particular. She was complex, smart, resourceful and determined to live by her own rules. Her interest in and master of black dialect explains so much about her writings and how giving life to black stories in their own words helped to empower them when the country was in transition. Wrapped in Rainbows is worth the read for anyone wanting to delve deeper into the heart and mind of Zora. I appreciate her more now than I ever did.
July 20, 2014
This book is a smooth read, very inviting - comfortable. Like listening to Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' while sipping a nice port. It enabled you to walk with Zora through her life. Touched on very important times/events/people in history - Harlem Renaissance, Jim Crow, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Alain Locke... A magical time. A remarkable woman - independent, formidable, resilient, courageous. She lived her life on her terms regardless of what was going on around her. Well done Ms. Boyd.
February 23, 2019
I am glad that I picked up this book because it gave me so much insight about a woman I knew nothing about. I have sadly not read any of work but I do own two of her books. It also gave me a glimpse into the time period Zora grew up and lived in. I feel like this biography was so well written and it made Zora feel so real if that makes any sense. I enjoyed this and would love to own my copy, so that I could read this again. I apologize if this review is incoherent I am just to excited about this book and wish I could do it justice with a better review.
May 12, 2008
I read little biography. I'll admit, I'm rarely enthralled by a person's entire life, cradle to grave. Zora Neale Hurston is an exception. And this book is an exception. A lovely portrait of a complex life. It's both good research and good reading.
April 2, 2024
This might be my favorite biography of all time. This is the definitive book about Zora and it is so unbelievably well done. Every time I read it, it feels like I’m spending time with Zora. Nine billion stars.
March 20, 2016
A very interesting read. Before reading this book, I never heard of Zora Neale Hurston and it's a pity because she was a very interesting woman.
The writing of the book flows steadily and sometimes reads more like a fiction narrative than a biography.
The writing of the book flows steadily and sometimes reads more like a fiction narrative than a biography.
September 11, 2007
Zora Neale Hurston was an amazing woman. I'm not exaggerating; This book changed my life. It's well written and well researched.
June 30, 2008
Just read this for a conference on Hurston. Very thorough, so you'd better be a fan of Hurston to take this one on!
February 27, 2017
Divine and inspiring. It does a great job of contextualizing how truly brilliant and unique Hurston was, and it makes me want to reread her books.
April 17, 2023
Simply one of the best literary biographies ever written. I was very sorry to learn recently that Valerie Boyd had passed away.
February 6, 2023
Oh, this book. Well done, Valerie Boyd!
It was my intention to read one biography or autobiography each month this year, mostly, if not exclusively, on strong women. Although I didn't finish this first one by the end of January, no matter. This month and five days' reading was 438 pages of enlightening, invigorating and inspiring reading.
Zora Neale Hurston has been in my head and heart since I first Their Eyes Were Watching God for the first time. That was spring semester of my senior year at Wake Forest, 1981, under the careful and meaningful tutelage of Dr. Dolly McPherson. So many memories. Professor, mentor, friend! Later, much later, beginning in the summer of 2008, I would teach the novel myself to English students at our community college, and present a conference paper called "Zora for President" in Tennessee, of all places.
But Boyd -- she loves and respects her subject, and presents Zora in vivid and intriguing detail.
I have read Robert Hemenway's biography of Hurston, and Dr. Henry Louis Gates' essay, but Boyd's work is the definitive piece. If you want to know Zora -- if you wish you could have known Zora -- read this. But read Zora in her own words, too, of course!
Some pf my favorite Zora quotes:
On wanting to attend Barnard College: "It is mighty cold comfort to do things if nobody cares whether you succeed or not. It is terribly delightful to me to have someone fearing with me and hoping for me, let alone workings to make some of my dreams come true."
From her novel Moses, Man of the Mountain, Moses speaking: "Joshua, when you find a man who has lost the way, you don't make fun of him and scorn him and leave him there. You show him the way. If you don't do that you just prove that you're sort of lost yourself."
On her own memoir, Dust Tracks on a Road: "I did not want to write it all because it is too hard to reveal one's inner self, and there is no use in writing that kind of book unless you do."
Read this book. Read Zora's books. Hurston contributed IMPORTANT ENTRIES to the canon of American literature. Read them! And I hope you do not remain unchanged and unaffected.
It was my intention to read one biography or autobiography each month this year, mostly, if not exclusively, on strong women. Although I didn't finish this first one by the end of January, no matter. This month and five days' reading was 438 pages of enlightening, invigorating and inspiring reading.
Zora Neale Hurston has been in my head and heart since I first Their Eyes Were Watching God for the first time. That was spring semester of my senior year at Wake Forest, 1981, under the careful and meaningful tutelage of Dr. Dolly McPherson. So many memories. Professor, mentor, friend! Later, much later, beginning in the summer of 2008, I would teach the novel myself to English students at our community college, and present a conference paper called "Zora for President" in Tennessee, of all places.
But Boyd -- she loves and respects her subject, and presents Zora in vivid and intriguing detail.
I have read Robert Hemenway's biography of Hurston, and Dr. Henry Louis Gates' essay, but Boyd's work is the definitive piece. If you want to know Zora -- if you wish you could have known Zora -- read this. But read Zora in her own words, too, of course!
Some pf my favorite Zora quotes:
On wanting to attend Barnard College: "It is mighty cold comfort to do things if nobody cares whether you succeed or not. It is terribly delightful to me to have someone fearing with me and hoping for me, let alone workings to make some of my dreams come true."
From her novel Moses, Man of the Mountain, Moses speaking: "Joshua, when you find a man who has lost the way, you don't make fun of him and scorn him and leave him there. You show him the way. If you don't do that you just prove that you're sort of lost yourself."
On her own memoir, Dust Tracks on a Road: "I did not want to write it all because it is too hard to reveal one's inner self, and there is no use in writing that kind of book unless you do."
Read this book. Read Zora's books. Hurston contributed IMPORTANT ENTRIES to the canon of American literature. Read them! And I hope you do not remain unchanged and unaffected.
September 27, 2022
I’ve always loved to read about strong female characters. And even though Zora Neale Hurston was a real human being, she was also a character. She was everything I admire in a person; she was tough, strong, determined, and cared about what mattered in life.
Nothing about Hurston was average. Raised in the all-Black Florida town of Eatonville until her mother died when Hurston was 13, she was forced to take care of herself after age 15. Nevertheless, she managed to survive and earned high school and college diplomas. The latter is from Barnard, an all-White college, after she attended the esteemed Howard University in D.C. All this is unusual and impressive for the time. She was a respected member of the Harlem Renaissance. But the most notable thing about Hurston was her intellect. She was a genius.
Valerie Boyd took the facts of Hurston’s life, digging deep and wide, to uncover a complex woman. Like any of us, Hurston wasn’t perfect. In a fit of temper, she almost killed her stepmother. Boyd also discloses that once in her career, she was guilty of plagiarism. And she spent most of her life lying about her age.
But the good far outweighed the bad. Hurston was fearless. She toured the American South, Jamaica and Haiti, alone, collecting material from the Black populations for valued contributions to anthropology. While studying conjure in New Orleans and Haiti, she delved deep into Hoodoo and Voodoo. Her contributions have been unparalleled. Then there are her novels, like Jonah’s Goardvine, Moses, Man of the Mountain, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. She was also heavily involved in theater.
Boyd’s writing style keeps the pages turning. I enjoyed every chapter. Zora Neale Huston was an irrepressible woman who should serve as an inspiration for anyone, male or female, young or old. I enjoyed the work every bit as much as a novel. Because of this, I recommend it to everyone.
Nothing about Hurston was average. Raised in the all-Black Florida town of Eatonville until her mother died when Hurston was 13, she was forced to take care of herself after age 15. Nevertheless, she managed to survive and earned high school and college diplomas. The latter is from Barnard, an all-White college, after she attended the esteemed Howard University in D.C. All this is unusual and impressive for the time. She was a respected member of the Harlem Renaissance. But the most notable thing about Hurston was her intellect. She was a genius.
Valerie Boyd took the facts of Hurston’s life, digging deep and wide, to uncover a complex woman. Like any of us, Hurston wasn’t perfect. In a fit of temper, she almost killed her stepmother. Boyd also discloses that once in her career, she was guilty of plagiarism. And she spent most of her life lying about her age.
But the good far outweighed the bad. Hurston was fearless. She toured the American South, Jamaica and Haiti, alone, collecting material from the Black populations for valued contributions to anthropology. While studying conjure in New Orleans and Haiti, she delved deep into Hoodoo and Voodoo. Her contributions have been unparalleled. Then there are her novels, like Jonah’s Goardvine, Moses, Man of the Mountain, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. She was also heavily involved in theater.
Boyd’s writing style keeps the pages turning. I enjoyed every chapter. Zora Neale Huston was an irrepressible woman who should serve as an inspiration for anyone, male or female, young or old. I enjoyed the work every bit as much as a novel. Because of this, I recommend it to everyone.
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