Song of Solomon (1977), Toni Mornson's lyrical novel, recounts the story of a black man searching for his roots.

Russell Banks's Cloudsplitter (1998) is a fictionalized account of the saga of John Brown narrated by his son, Owen Brown

Praisesong for the Widow (1983), written by Paule Marshall, presents a middle-aged black woman's journey into her own past.

Chinua Achebe's classic novel, entitled Things Fall Apart (1958), chronicles life in an African village