Set in the deep American south between the wars, this is the classic tale of Celie, a young poor black girl. Raped repeatedly by her father, she loses two children and then is married off to a man who treats her no better than a slave. She is separated from her sister Nettie and dreams of becoming like the glamorous Shug Avery, a singer and rebellious black woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. Gradually Celie discovers the support of women that enables her to leave the past behind and begin a new life.
Winner of the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
“Intense emotional impact . . . Indelibly affecting . . . Alice Walker is a lavishly gifted writer.” The New York Times Book Review
“Places Walker in the company of Faulkner.” The Nation
“Superb . . . A work to stand beside literature of any time and place.” San Francisco Chronicle
“Marvelous characters . . . A story of revelation . . . One of the great books of our time.” Essence
“The Color Purple has been read and reread by millions. Forget lilac, mauve and lavendar: this is the royal purple.” The Times
Leave a Reply