Historical Fiction · ThoughtfulLetters from a young woman in rural Georgia
The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
A young woman in rural Georgia writes letters to God and learns to speak for herself
Celie is a poor Black girl in rural Georgia. She is abused by her father and then by the man she is forced to marry, and she addresses her letters to God. Over time she forms bonds with other women, such as Shug Avery and Sofia, and searches for her sister Nettie, from whom she never hears.
More about this book
Who
Celie; her sister Nettie; her husband Albert, called Mister; the singer Shug Avery; and Sofia.
World
Rural Georgia in the early 1900s, with later scenes in Memphis, Tennessee, and in Africa.
What makes it different
The novel is told entirely through letters. It won both the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award in 1983, and Walker became the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It was adapted as a 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg, a stage musical and a 2023 film.
Feel
Moving and direct, written in Celie's own voice.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- The Color PurpleWikipedia