Color Purple

The classic, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that made Alice Walker a household name.

Set in the deep American South between the wars, The Color Purple is the classic tale of Celie, a young black girl born into poverty and segregation. Raped repeatedly by the man she calls 'father', she has two children taken away from her, is separated from her beloved sister Nettie 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. Gradually Celie discovers the power and joy of her own spirit, freeing her from her past and reuniting her with those she loves.

Review: A genuinely mind-expanding book. -- Patrick Ness * GUARDIAN *

She is one of the most gifted writers in her country -- Isabel Allende

The Color Purple is a work to stand beside literature for any time and any place. It needs no category other than the fact that it is superb -- Rita Mae Brown

The Color Purple is a lush celebration of all that it means to be female, to be a black female and like the best of celebrations, it is an honest one. Alice Walker's honesty in this book is combative, relentless and redemptive. It is from this honesty that bitterness emerges, and yet the bitterness never blights the encompassing humanity of Walker's vision.I love that The Color Purple doesn't try to soften its blows but is also courageous enough to hold on to a wonderfully affirming faith in possibility, in forgiveness and kindness and hope. -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The great irony about The Color Purple is that it transcends colour. To do that you have to be a magician or a genius. This book works on all levels, the political, the historical, the personal, the emotional, the spiritual . . . Not a word is wasted, every breath accounted for. We all know that this is one of the greatest books of all time. -- Benjamin Zephaniah

A unique blend of serenity and immediacy that makes your senses ache -- Helen Dunmore

Alice Walker is a lavishly gifted writer * New York Times *

A fable for the modern world * Washington Post *

A stunning, brilliantly conceived book . . . a saga filled with joy and pain, humor and bitterness, and an array of characters who live, breathe and illuminate the world of black women * Publishers Weekly *

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

A unique blend of serenity and immediacy that makes your senses ache * Helen Dunmore *

This made Alice Walker the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize. It's a fascinating but tough read because it deals with the abuse of women and children. Despite the brutality, it's filled with hope and optimism -- Joan Armatrading, My Six Best Books * DAILY EXPRESS *

Add this great book to your collection now. * PRIDE MAGAZINE (1 September 2004) *