The Color Purple

By Alice Walker

Categories: Literature & Fiction

Celie grows up poor in rural Georgia, abused by her family and then married off to a harsh, brutal husband. Her beloved sister, Nettie, escapes, and Celie is left alone. To survive, she writes letters directly to God. Over twenty years, those letters trace her slow journey toward self-respect and independence, helped by strong women like the jazz singer Shug Avery and her stepson's wife, who challenges her to fight for herself. Alice Walker tells the story in Celie's own voice.

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• John Green: “For the person in your life who loves reading but thinks they hate classics, Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather and The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Both these books are captivating and page-turny and intensely moving despite being read in schools.”