TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual abuse, incest, physical abuse, lynching/slavery

THE PLOT: ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker is about a young Black girl born into poverty in the American South around the early 20^th century. Fourteen-year-old Celie knows she’s poor, Black and ugly. Since her momma died, her father reminds her of this every day. After suffering numerous sexual assaults, Celie gives birth to two children who are taken away from her. As punishment, she is sent away and trapped in an ugly, abusive marriage, thereby separating Celie from her beloved sister Nettie. But when Celie meets the glamorous Shug Avery – the love of her husbands’ life – instead of jealousy towards the “other woman”, she learns to take charge of her own destiny and attempts to reunite with her loved ones.  

SUMMARY:  What can I write about this masterpiece that hasn’t been written before? I first watched the film version of The Color Purple when I was in primary school and I remember it terrifying and enthralling me in equal measure. I wept watching Whoppi Goldberg portray the downtrodden Celie and cowered at the sight of her abusive husband. I don’t know if I’m happy or sad that the book exceeds the film version. It’s heart-breaking and terrifying and haunting, in equal measure. The epistolary format with diary entries and letters between Celie and her sister draws you in, and you feel like you’re experiencing the traumas with them. This is a tough book but it is expertly written and covers an important part of history that should not be forgotten. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is part of the Black literary canon, and it certainly is a must-read-before-you-die kind of book.

GOOD BITS: For such a famous book, I found it wonderfully easy to read. The short sentences written in Celie’s South vernacular are so clever and emotive, they are the perfect medium to tell this story. In fact, I managed to race through the novel because the short rhythm of the diary entries / letters, kept me thinking “just one more”. I also felt the relationship between Shug and Celie was very nuanced and clever, with the LGBT themes and imperfections that made you root for them. Overall, my favourite character and storyline was Sophia’s and she will never fail to make me cry.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: N/A

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of ‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou and ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ by Zora Neale Hurston.

You can buy this book with a discount and support independent bookshops on my bookshop.org page.