Awards
1983 Pulitzer Prize for fiction
1983 National Book Award for fiction
From Powells.com
Staff recommendations, guest essays, and curated reading lists.
Synopses & Reviews
Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self.
Review
"The cumulative effect is a novel that is convincing because of the authenticity of its folk voice....a striking and consummately well-written novel. Alice Walker's choice and effective handling of the epistolary style has enabled her to tell a poignant tale of women's struggle for equality and independence..." Mel Watkins, The New York Times
Review
"[A] work to stand beside literature of any time and place." The San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"Intense emotional impact....Indelibly affecting...Alice Walker is a lavishly gifted writer." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Places Walker in the company of Faulkner." The Nation
Synopsis
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick Winner of the Pulitzer Prize * Winner of the National Book Award
Published to unprecedented acclaim, The Color Purple established Alice Walker as a major voice in modern fiction. This is the story of two sisters--one a missionary in Africa and the other a child wife living in the South--who sustain their loyalty to and trust in each other across time, distance, and silence. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic novel 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." -- 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
"A novel of permanent importance." -- Peter S. Prescott, Newsweek
Synopsis
Now a Broadway musical
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Winner of the National Book Award
Published to unprecedented acclaim, The Color Purple established Alice Walker as a major voice in modern fiction. This is the story of two sisters--one a missionary in Africa and the other a child wife living in the South--who sustain their loyalty to and trust in each other across time, distance, and silence. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic novel 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." -- 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
"A novel of permanent importance." -- Peter S. Prescott, Newsweek
Synopsis
Published to unprecedented acclaim, The Color Purple established Alice Walker as a major voice in modern fiction. This is the story of two sisters one a missionary in Africa and the other a child wife living in the South who sustain their loyalty to and trust in each other across time, distance, and silence. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic novel of American literature is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life.
About the Author
Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for her novel The Color Purple, which was preceded by The Third Life of Grange Copeland and Meridian. Her other bestselling novels include By the Light of My Father's Smile, Possessing the Secret of Joy and The Temple of My Familiar. She is also the author of two collections of short stories, three collections of essays, five 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.