The best Black American novels

Black American life and history. Ranked by tier, then by how often the lists chose them.

23 novels, ranked best first

Beloved is the highest-rated Black American novel, on 9 of the 17 lists it could have made.

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Beloved

Toni Morrison, 1987

All-Time Canon

Prize Winner

On 9 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.45 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Underground Railroad

Colson Whitehead, 2016

All-Time Canon

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 5 of the 14 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £8.98 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison, 1952

Essential

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner
Stood the Test of Time

On 6 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £11.30 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Color Purple

Alice Walker, 1982

Essential

Prize Winner

On 5 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.00 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Known World

Edward P. Jones, 2003

Essential

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 4 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston, 1937

Acclaimed

On 4 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £10.25 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Go Tell It on the Mountain

James Baldwin, 1953

Acclaimed

Critics' Darling

On 4 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.75 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison, 1977

Acclaimed

Stood the Test of Time

On 4 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.52 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The Confessions of Nat Turner

William Styron, 1967

Acclaimed

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 3 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £14.75 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Half-Blood Blues

Esi Edugyan, 2011

Acclaimed

On 3 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £10.77 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Salvage the Bones

Jesmyn Ward, 2011

Acclaimed

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 2 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £8.56 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

An American Marriage

Tayari Jones, 2018

Acclaimed

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 2 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £8.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

James

Percival Everett, 2024

Rising Star

Readers' Favourite
Prize Winner

On 5 of the 11 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £5.10 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

The Vanishing Half

Brit Bennett, 2020

Rising Star

Readers' Favourite

On 4 of the 12 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £6.85 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

The Sellout

Paul Beatty, 2015

Rising Star

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 3 of the 14 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £6.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Sing, Unburied, Sing

Jesmyn Ward, 2017

Rising Star

Critics' Darling
Prize Winner

On 3 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £10.05 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Native Son

Richard Wright, 1940

Critics' Darling

On 2 of the 16 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

The March

E. L. Doctorow, 2005

On 2 of the 14 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £10.44 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

The Help

Kathryn Stockett, 2009

Readers' Favourite

On 2 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK Bookshop.org

The Sport of Kings

C. E. Morgan, 2016

On 2 of the 15 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £19.10 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

Sula

Toni Morrison, 1973

Readers' Favourite

On 2 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.19 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison, 1970

On 2 of the 17 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £8.72 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:41, 10 Nov · Details

Paradise

Toni Morrison, 1997

Readers' Favourite

On 2 of the 19 lists it was eligible for

Amazon UK £9.99 Bookshop.orgPrice as of 13:42, 10 Nov · Details

Lists used on this page

The 100 best novels of all time, The Guardian (2026). Original list
The 100 best novels written in English, The Guardian / Observer (2015). Original list
The 100 greatest novels of all time, The Observer (2003). Original list
The 100 best books of the 21st century, The Guardian (2019). Original list
100 novels that shaped our world, BBC Arts (2019). Original list
100 novels everyone should read, The Telegraph (2009). Original list
All-Time 100 Novels, Time (2005). Original list
100 Best Novels (board's list), Modern Library (1998). Original list
The 100 best books of the 21st century, The New York Times (2024). Original list
Bokklubben World Library, Norwegian Book Clubs (2002). Original list
Booker Prize (winners and shortlists), Booker Prize Foundation (1969-). Original list
Women's Prize for Fiction (winners and shortlists), Women's Prize Trust (1996-). Original list
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (winners and finalists), Columbia University (1918-). Original list
Walter Scott Prize (winners and shortlists), Abbotsford Trust (2010-). Original list
British Book Awards: Fiction Book of the Year (winners and shortlists), The Bookseller (1990-). Original list
National Book Award for Fiction (winners and finalists), National Book Foundation (1950-). Original list
Readers' top 100 novels, The Guardian (2026). Original list
The Great American Read, PBS (2018). Original list
Goodreads Choice Awards: Fiction and Historical Fiction winners, Goodreads (2009-). Original list
Waterstones Book of the Year (winners and shortlists), Waterstones (2012-). Original list
Oprah's Book Club picks, Oprah's Book Club (1996-). Original list