The Color Purple

THE ICONIC CLASSIC, WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
ONE OF THE BBC '100 NOVELS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD'

The Color Purple is my go-to comfort novel. Every single time I read this book, I walk away as a slightly better person than I was when I picked it up' — Tayari Jones

'I think that The Color Purple was the first book that made me think that I could try to be a writer — or that made me aware that a young black woman from the South could write about the South' — Jesmyn Ward

A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia.

Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance and silence through a series of letters spanning twenty years, first from Celie to God, then the sisters to each other despite the unknown.

Abused repeatedly by the man she calls 'father', Celie has two children taken away from her and is trapped into an ugly marriage. But then she meets the glamorous Shug Avery, singer and magic-maker — a woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. And gradually Celie discovers the power and joy of her own spirit, freeing her from her past and reuniting her with those she loves.

Beloved by generations of readers, The Color Purple broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery. Deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, Alice Walker's epic carries readers on a spirit-affirming journey towards redemption and love.

'I got the book and read it, in one day, when it came out. And then I went back, the next day, and bought every copy they had' — Oprah Winfrey

'The great irony about The Color Purple is that it transcends colour. One of the greatest books of all time' — Benjamin Zephaniah

ISBN: 9781474607254 | Published: 31 October 2017 (first published 1982) | Paperback | 260 pages