Zora Neale Hurston’s Tell My Horse is available on Audible as a 9 hrs 37 mins unabridged audiobook, narrated by Robin Miles.
Publisher’s Summary
“Strikingly dramatic, yet simple and unrestrained . . . an unusual and intensely interesting book richly packed with strange information.”
—New York Times Book Review
Based on Zora Neale Hurston’s personal experiences in Haiti and Jamaica, where she participated as an initiate rather than just an observer of voodoo practices during her visits in the 1930s, this travelogue into a dark world paints a vividly authentic picture of the ceremonies, customs, and superstitions of voodoo.
Audiobook Details
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 9 hrs 37 mins
- Publisher: Amistad
- Release year: 2025
- Audible category: Literature & Fiction / Essays / Literature & Fiction
Listener Ratings
Tell My Horse holds an average listener rating of 4.8/5 from 11 Audible ratings.
On Audible, ratings for this title break down into narration performance and story separately:
- Performance (narration): 5.0/5
- Story: 4.4/5
- 5-star ratings: 82% of all ratings
What Audible Listeners Are Saying
5/5 stars — “Not for the faint of heart”
A few years ago I listened to "The Serpent and the Rainbow," which was also about Haitian Voodoo rituals—specifically about how zombies were made. That book was more about chemistry and ethnobotany, but Wade Davis happened to mention Zora Neale Hurston’s book about her experiences in Haiti, "Tell My Horse," At the time, it was not available on audiobook, so I was very happy to see it finally released in 2025.Like many people, my only experience with the author was reading "Their Eyes Were Watching God" in middle school. This book was an eye-opening discovery. Although the first part is about Jamaica, most of the book is about Haiti. Some politics, history, and culture, but a LOT about Voodoo rituals. Fascinating subject material, particularly if you have any knowledge about other African religious traditions in the Americas (Santeria in the Caribbean, Candomblé in Brazil). Although there is significant overlap, Haiti has its own traditions on top of that. Each loa (god / spirit) has his/her own personality, favorite foods, etc. There is Papa Legba (the most famous outside of Haiti), but also Erzulie (love goddess), and Guede, who is unique to Haiti and possesses people by "mounting" them like a horse, which is where the book’s title comes from.
Though I highly recommend this book, I do have some caveats. First, it helps to know some French. I only know a little bit, so there were many segments that I didn’t fully understand, as there are few translations in the text. Also, as I mention in the headline, this is not for those with weak constitutions. There are many descriptions of animal sacrifice that made me a bit queasy. Worse still were the descriptions of cannibalism by the secret societies such as the Cochon Gris (gray pig), also known as Secte Rouge. Certainly did not inspire me to visit the country. But I will seek out other books from Hurston, as she is a fantastic writer. And the narration was five-star as well. Robin Miles does a great job pronouncing all the Creole and French phrases throughout the book, and there are a lot. If you think you can stomach the descriptions of animal sacrifice, do check out "Tell My Horse."
— Schuyler Corry, Audible listener
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