Picture a storyteller who weaves the raw, resilient threads of Black American life into unforgettable novels—meet Ayana Mathis! With her lyrical prose and unflinching gaze, this Philadelphia-born author has carved a space in contemporary literature, capturing hearts with works like The Twelve Tribes of Hattie and The Unsettled. Her stories pulse with the weight of history, family, and hope, making her a voice you won’t soon forget.
Mathis’s journey from a childhood in a Black evangelical church to a celebrated novelist is as compelling as her fiction. Her ability to transform personal and collective struggles into art has earned her accolades from Oprah’s Book Club to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she made history as the first Black woman faculty member. Ready to dive into her world? Let’s explore.
The Making of Ayana Mathis
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Ayana Mathis grew up in a world shaped by faith, poverty, and the echoes of the Great Migration. Her early life in a strict evangelical community fueled her fascination with religion and marginality, themes that ripple through her work. A voracious reader, she found solace in poetry, with Yusef Komunyakaa’s vivid verses inspiring her to chase beauty amid hardship. Mathis honed her craft at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, earning a Michener-Copernicus Fellowship and later breaking barriers as the program’s first Black woman assistant professor. Her path wasn’t easy, but her grit and talent set the stage for a remarkable career.
Ayana Mathis’s Unforgettable Stories
Mathis burst onto the literary scene with The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (2012), a New York Times bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 pick. This debut novel follows Hattie Shepherd, a mother navigating the Great Migration’s promises and perils, raising eleven children and a grandchild in Philadelphia. Critics praised its lyrical yet unflinching prose, comparing Mathis to Toni Morrison for her ability to imbue personal struggles with epic resonance. The novel’s twelve narrative threads weave a tapestry of resilience, heartbreak, and hope, translated into sixteen languages.
In 2023, Mathis returned with The Unsettled, a poignant tale of three generations grappling with displacement and belonging. Set between 1980s Philadelphia and a fading Black town in Alabama, it follows Ava, her son Toussaint, and her mother Dutchess. Hailed as “heartbreaking” by the New York Times and a Notable Book of 2023, it showcases Mathis’s elastic voice—lyrical, visceral, and fiercely honest. Her nonfiction, including essays in The Atlantic and a New York Times series on faith in literature, further reveals her incisive mind.
Mathis’s style is a dance of contrasts: poetic yet plainspoken, intimate yet expansive. She explores Blackness, family, mental health, and history with a clarity that invites readers into her characters’ souls. Whether crafting a novel or curating the Black Arts Dialogues at Columbia, her work radiates authenticity and depth.
Why Ayana Mathis Matters
Ayana Mathis’s impact lies in her refusal to shy away from hard truths. Her novels confront the fractures of Black family life and the enduring weight of history, yet they brim with beauty and resilience. By centering marginalized voices, she challenges readers to see the world anew, earning praise from literary giants like Marilynne Robinson and Jesmyn Ward. As an educator at Hunter College’s MFA Program and a 2025-26 Hodder Fellow at Princeton, Mathis inspires emerging writers to find their own voices. Her work is a testament to the power of storytelling to heal, connect, and endure.
- Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Key Works: The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (2012), The Unsettled (2023)
- Awards: Michener-Copernicus Fellowship, 2024 American Academy in Berlin Prize
- Fun Fact: She hosts the Black Arts Dialogues, celebrating art and Blackness.
About Ayana Mathis
Snag The Twelve Tribes of Hattie or The Unsettled and dive into Ayana Mathis’s soul-stirring world of family, history, and hope!