If you enjoy reading novels by Jesmyn Ward then you might also like the following authors:
If you enjoy Jesmyn Ward’s novels, Toni Morrison may be another author you will like. Morrison’s stories focus on family ties and the difficulties people face in their everyday lives. Her novel “Beloved” follows a mother named Sethe.
Sethe escapes from slavery with her children and tries to build a new life in freedom. But even years later, the painful past returns in ways Sethe never imagined.
Morrison creates characters that feel real and shows their relationships clearly, especially how mother and child deal with loss and memory. Her storytelling makes you care deeply about those characters and their struggles.
Zora Neale Hurston is an American author known for stories set in the South and featuring African American characters and culture. Her writing closely portrays the daily lives, hopes and struggles of ordinary people.
Her best-known novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” tells the story of a woman named Janie Crawford, who seeks happiness and independence through different relationships and experiences in rural Florida.
With powerful dialogue and vivid scenes of daily community life, the book explores human connection and the complexities of finding personal voice, freedom and identity.
If you appreciate how Jesmyn Ward portrays strong characters and communities with honesty and deep respect, Zora Neale Hurston might appeal to you.
Ta-Nehisi Coates writes powerful books about race and identity in America. People who admire Jesmyn Ward may connect with Coates’ honest voice in “The Water Dancer.” The book tells the story of Hiram Walker, a young man born into slavery who discovers an unusual gift.
Hiram can transport himself over vast distances through memory and water. He becomes part of a secret network working toward freedom. The story mixes history and fantasy to reveal truths about bondage, family, memory, and struggle.
If Jesmyn Ward’s themes resonate with you, then Ta-Nehisi Coates’ storytelling offers something fresh to explore.
Yaa Gyasi is a Ghanaian-American author who explores deep themes of identity and family history in her books. Her novel “Homegoing” begins with two sisters in 18th-century Ghana who never know each other, then follows the lives of their descendants across generations.
Each chapter moves forward in time and introduces a new character tied to the sisters’ line. Gyasi portrays the harsh realities of slavery, colonialism and cultural loss through stories that feel personal and real.
The characters face struggles and triumphs that show how history shapes their lives. Readers who appreciated the family bonds and emotional power in Jesmyn Ward’s books may find similar connections in the storytelling of Yaa Gyasi.
Alice Walker is a writer known for depicting powerful characters who face difficult times and social injustice. Her book “The Color Purple” follows Celie, a young woman from rural Georgia who suffers cruelty and hardship at the hands of those around her.
Celie becomes stronger through friendship and love and finds her own voice after years of silence. The story sheds light on family bonds, personal courage, and the everyday strength it takes to survive and push forward.
Readers who feel moved by Jesmyn Ward’s authentic and emotional storytelling may connect with Walker’s honest and courageous characters.
Brit Bennett is an author whose storytelling explores family bonds and community ties in a personal and direct way. Her novel “The Vanishing Half” tells the story of twin sisters who grow up together in a small town in the South before their paths separate completely.
One sister decides to live as a white woman, while the other sister returns to their hometown. The story follows the sister’s distinct lives and how their very different choices affect each other and the next generation.
If you appreciate Jesmyn Ward’s clear insight into family and identity, Brit Bennett’s stories about belonging and personal struggles offer similar depth and realism.
Edwidge Danticat is an author from Haiti who writes novels and short stories focused on Haitian life and community. If you enjoy Jesmyn Ward’s novels, you may also appreciate Danticat’s book “Breath, Eyes, Memory.”
It tells the story of Sophie, a young Haitian girl sent from Haiti to live with a mother she barely knows in New York City. Sophie struggles between two worlds, the traditional Haitian family expectations of her childhood, and the challenges of becoming a woman in America.
The narrative weaves together themes of family, identity and tradition.
Ann Petry is an American writer whose books often explore themes of race and social injustice in a natural storytelling style. Readers who enjoy Jesmyn Ward may appreciate Petry’s novel “The Street.”
The story follows Lutie Johnson, a young black mother who moves to Harlem in the 1940s. She tries to build a better future for her son but quickly faces discrimination, hardship and struggle.
Petry writes honestly about Lutie’s everyday life and the community around her, creating characters and situations that feel real and relatable.
Jesús Carrasco is a Spanish author known for his direct and powerful storytelling style. His novel “Out in the Open” follows a young boy who escapes from his village into a harsh landscape to avoid violence.
As he travels across dry open country, he meets an elderly shepherd who becomes his guide and protector. This book explores themes of survival and connection in the face of danger and isolation.
Readers who appreciate Jesmyn Ward’s stories about difficult journeys and strong bonds may find Jesús Carrasco’s work worthwhile.
If you like Jesmyn Ward, you might want to check out Roxane Gay. Gay writes honestly about identity, relationships and life’s difficulties.
Her book “An Untamed State” tells the story of Mireille Duval Jameson, a Haitian-American woman kidnapped while staying at her father’s home in Haiti. Mireille’s ordeal and strength create a powerful story about family and survival.
Roxane Gay describes the emotional and physical toll Mireille faces after the kidnapping without shying away from difficult realities. This book explores how trauma affects relationships and the paths people take to reclaim themselves.
Chigozie Obioma is a Nigerian author whose novels often explore family bonds and tragic events within tight-knit communities. His book “The Fishermen” follows four brothers growing up in a Nigerian town.
After a local prophecy shakes their family, the brothers find themselves caught in unexpected conflicts. Obioma’s clear storytelling gives readers an intimate sense of the characters’ experiences.
His approach shares themes with Jesmyn Ward’s novels, including the emotional weight of family relationships and how tragedy impacts lives.
Kiese Laymon is an author from Mississippi known for honest writing about his life and the American South. In his memoir “Heavy,” Laymon writes openly to his mother about their complicated relationship and his early experiences with race, weight and family struggles.
His memories from childhood and young adulthood are clear and direct, giving readers a real picture of what shaped him.
Like Jesmyn Ward, Laymon roots his books firmly in the experiences of Southern Black families, often revealing painful truths that stay with you long after you finish.
Colson Whitehead is an American writer known for stories that explore race and the complexity of American history. His novel “The Underground Railroad” focuses on a young woman named Cora who escapes slavery in Georgia.
She travels aboard a secret underground railway system, an actual railroad with trains and engineers, while facing dangers at every turn. Whitehead blends reality with imaginative storytelling that fans of Jesmyn Ward’s emotional narratives will appreciate.
Jesmyn Ward is an author who tells deeply personal stories about family and survival. Her novel “Salvage the Bones” follows a young girl named Esch and her brothers in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.
Esch lives with poverty, difficult family relationships and the responsibilities placed on her at a young age. As the storm gets closer, the tension inside the family increases. Ward writes about struggle and hope in ordinary people’s lives.
Readers who enjoy the way Ward shows strong bonds between family members might also appreciate authors like Tayari Jones and her novel “An American Marriage.”
Readers who appreciate Jesmyn Ward’s books often enjoy showing how characters deal with difficult challenges. Imbolo Mbue shares a similar strength. Mbue is a writer from Cameroon who now lives in the United States.
Her novel “Behold the Dreamers” follows Jende Jonga, an immigrant from Cameroon who moves to New York City. It explores his life after he lands a job as a driver for an executive at Lehman Brothers.
The book shows readers the struggles Jende and his wife Neni face as they try to build a home in this new place. The reader witnesses how their situation changes when the company begins to fail, and how this affects both families.
Mbue’s novel deals directly with hopes and disappointments within two very different families.