Eatonville, Florida, the setting of the novel, is an actual town located five miles north of Orlando. It is the oldest surviving incorporated municipality in the United States. Of the more than 100 black towns founded between 1865–1900, fewer than 12 remain, one of which is Eatonville. Perhaps it was the profound impact of this southern community on her life that prompted Hurston, who was born in Eatonville, to use it as the setting of this novel.
Hurston penned Their Eyes Were Watching God in 1937, a time when novels written by African-American female authors were rare. Not only was it unusual for an African-American female author to have a novel published, but also it was uncommon for novels written during this time period to contain an African-American female as a novel's heroine. Perhaps that is why many of Hurston's writings were overlooked until after her death. Noted author Alice Walker, who searched and found Hurston's unmarked grave in August 1973, reintroduced the public to Hurston's work in the mid 1970s. Through her writing, Hurston served as one of the first African-American female voices of the twentieth century.
