2020 USA Today, 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read
2019 Longlist, Women’s Prize for Fiction (Praise Song for the Butterflies)
2019 BCALA Honor Award (Praise Song for the Butterflies)
2019 Go On Girl Book Club Author of the Year (The Book of Harlan)
2017 American Book Award (The Book of Harlan)
2017 Winner 2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work (The Book of Harlan)
2016 Washington Post Notable Books of 2016 (The Book of Harlan)
2016 Historical Novel Society “November Editor’s Choice” (The Book of Harlan)
2016 National Reading Group Month/ Great Group Reads Selection (The Book of Harlan)
2016 Award for Excellence in Literature, Art Sanctuary, The Celebration of Black Arts Legacy Awards
2013 Finalist, Hurston Wright Legacy Award in Fiction (Gathering of Waters)
2013 National Reading Group Month/Great Group Reads Selection (Nowhere is a Place)
2012 New York Times 100 Notable Books (Gathering of Waters)
2012 Washington Post 50 Best Books (Gathering of Waters)
2012 New York Times “Editor’s Choice” (Gathering of Waters) ** February 17th, 2012**
2011 Finalist, Hurston Wright Legacy Award in Fiction (Glorious)
2011 Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Fiction Award (Glorious)
2011 Nominated for the 2011 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Glorious)
2010 New York Times Book Review (Glorious)
2010 Debut Selection for The One Book, One Harlem Program (Glorious)
2010 O Magazine “Book to Watch” (Glorious)
2010 Historical Novel Society “Editor’s Choice” (Glorious)
2007 Short-listed for the Hurston Wright Legacy Award in Fiction (Nowhere is a Place)
2007 National Book Club Conference BeBe Moore Campbell Memorial Literary Award
2006 Washington Post Best Fiction (Nowhere is a Place)
2004 Subject of The Lifetime Television 20th Anniversary Commercial
2004 Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Fiction Honor Award (Loving Donovan)
2002 Short-listed for the Hurston Wright Legacy Award in Fiction (The Warmest December)
2002 Zora Neale Hurston Society Award for Creative Contribution to Literature
2001 Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Fiction Honor Award (Sugar)
2001 Black Writer’s Alliance, Gold Pen Award, Best Mainstream Fiction (Sugar)
2001 Black Writer’s Alliance, Gold Pen Award, Best New Author
2001 Go On Girl Book Club New Author of the Year Award (Sugar)
2000 New York Times Book Review (Sugar)
2000 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writer’s (Sugar)