A review by maritareads
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

This beautiful story encompasses the life of the black woman from around the 1890s to 1930s. I read this at 11 and even then I knew there was something profound and important about this. I'm glad I got to read this because Walker is a writer who clearly sees and loves black women, from damn near all over the black diaspora. I came a way with a lot of respect for the writer who coined the term "womanism". I recommend listening to the audiobook as she narrates it herself and I got to understand how the AAVE should be spoken and pronounced. And what beautiful writing. Celie expresses things in a simple way but she gives you that aha! moment. 

This touches on the lives of black women from post civil war America to pre colonial (just a little before) Africa. Celie, Nettie, Shug, Sophia, Mary Agnes and Tashi are all women who've had to fight all their lives. This packs a punch and everything bad that can happen to a black woman happens here. But these women rise up again and again. There is love here too, and sisterhood, friendship, a sapphic love, and a set of women who aren't tied down to one particular thing or person, no matter how much ridicule or abuse they might face.

Ah, there's so much to say but my thoughts are all jumbled. For sure this isn't an easy read. Put it down as long as you like before picking it up again. This is one of those ones I'll come back to time and time again.
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