Ann Petry Books in Order

Lutie Johnson seeks a better life for herself and her son in Harlem, but poverty, violence, and racial prejudice obstruct her efforts. Her struggle reveals the pressures that surround a determined mother trying to build an independent future.

Returning from World War II, Johnnie Roane hears rumors that unsettle his faith in his marriage. As a hurricane approaches his Connecticut hometown, concealed resentments and private betrayals threaten to erupt beneath its outwardly peaceful surface.

A small cat's quick temper makes patience a difficult lesson to learn. This children's story follows the challenge of managing strong feelings and developing the self-restraint needed when an immediate reaction is not the best response.

After rescuing a white woman from danger, Black bartender Link begins a secret relationship with her across their town's racial divide. Her wealth and marriage complicate an affair already threatened by prejudice and unequal opportunities.

Born enslaved, Harriet Tubman escapes and then repeatedly risks her freedom to help others reach safety. Petry's biography for young readers follows her childhood, abolitionist work, and Civil War service through a life defined by courage and resistance.

Enslaved in a minister's household, Tituba becomes a target as frightened Salem villagers seek explanations for the girls' strange fits. Her skills and fortune-telling are treated as evidence, placing her life at risk amid accusations of witchcraft.

These stories explore Black lives shaped by racism, aspiration, love, and fear in twentieth-century America. A pharmacist's family, a vulnerable teacher, and a girl observing adult relationships reveal how public prejudice enters private lives with lasting consequences.