The Color Purple

'One of the most haunting books you could ever wish to read...it is stunning - moving, exciting, and wonderful' Lenny Henry.

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.

[Banner] Now a Tony Award-Winning Broadway Musical
 

The Color Purple is the story of two sisters—one a missionary to Africa and the other a child wife living in the South—who remain loyal to one another across time, distance, and silence. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic of American literature is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life.
"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

"The Color Purple is an American novel of permanent importance."—Newsweek

"Marvelous characters . . . A story of revelation . . . One of the great books of our time."--Essence
 
[banner] Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award
 
 
 [bio]
Bestselling novelist Alice Walker is also the author of three collections of short stories, three collections of essays, six volumes of poetry and several children's books. Her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, Walker now lives in northern California.