Zora Neale Hurston's Tell My Horse offers a rich immersion into Jamaican and Haitian cultures, voodoo practices, and folktales. Praised for its vivid storytelling and anthropological insight, the book faces criticism for a lack of objective analysis and some ethnographic inaccuracies. Overall, it remains a vital, if imperfect, cultural document.

Readers who cherish anthropological works intertwined with storytelling and African American culture will be captivated by Zora Neale Hurston’s Tell My Horse. Fans of Hurston’s own Their Eyes Were Watching God or Alice Walker’s In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens will find this blend of travel narrative and ethnographic study particularly engaging.

In Tell My Horse, Zora Neale Hurston explores African diasporic culture and customs in the Caribbean, drawing from her fieldwork in Jamaica and Haiti. She delves into rituals, beliefs, and Voodoo practices, examining gender, power dynamics, and racial inequalities. Hurston describes ceremonies, funeral rites, and the pantheon of Voodoo deities, while providing historical context on Haiti’s political turmoil and societal structure. The narrative includes depictions of sexual violence, abuse, and discrimination.

Informative / Mysterious / Fantastical / Contemplative / Emotional

- Tell My Horse is a blend of travelogue and ethnographic study, where Zora Neale Hurston explores the cultural practices and religious rituals of Haiti and Jamaica during the late 1930s.
- The book uniquely combines Zora Neale Hurston's role as an anthropologist and storyteller, offering readers a vivid portrayal of Caribbean voodoo practices, which she directly observed and participated in.
- Tell My Horse is regarded as an important work in African American literature, providing insight into the syncretic religions of the Caribbean and showcasing Hurston's distinctive narrative style and anthropological work.

Study Guide

Book Brief

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Book Brief Tell My Horse

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Overview

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Tell My Horse Summary and Study Guide

Background

Tell My Horse Background

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: "Jamaica"

Part 1, Chapters 1-5

Tell My Horse Part 1, Chapters 1-5 Summary & Analysis

Part 2: “Politics and Personalities of Haiti”

Part 2, Chapters 6-9

Tell My Horse Part 2, Chapters 6-9 Summary & Analysis

Part 3 Chapters 10-14

Tell My Horse Part 3 Chapters 10-14 Summary & Analysis

Part 3, Chapters 15-18

Tell My Horse Part 3, Chapters 15-18 Summary & Analysis

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Key Figures

Tell My Horse Key Figures

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Themes

Tell My Horse Themes

Index of Terms

Tell My Horse Index of Terms

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Important Quotes

Tell My Horse Important Quotes

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Essay Topics

Tell My Horse Essay Topics

Zora Neale Hurston

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Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica

Book Brief

Tell My Horse

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Reviews & Readership

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