Prologue : The Novels of Black American Women, 1891-1965 (Annotated ed)

This volume discusses the emergence of writings by Black women, the major concerns and themes of their fiction, and its special role within, and unique reflection of, Afro-American culture.

A work of literary criticism as well as cultural history, Prologue focuses in depth on ten novels illustrative of the novels' concerns during the periods 1891-1920, 1921-1945, and 1946-1965, and discusses their literary characteristics and aesthetic achievement.

It discusses the broad characteristics of Afro-American fiction and compares it to mainstream American fiction.

Its generously annotated bibliography contains entries for each of the fifty-eight novels on which the study is based.