A review by heathercottledillon
The Color Purple by Alice Walker

4.0

This is one of the books that was on my Librarian Shame List because I'd gone through high school, college, and the first few years of my adult life without reading it. I wish I hadn't waited so long! The intimate writing style drew me in right away (though I would have appreciated some punctuation!) and I immediately cared deeply for Celie, Nettie, Shug, and the others. The story is paced so well and there are so many shocking surprises along the way that it was hard for me to put the book down. There's so much to think about that's addressed in this book: racism, subjugation of women, human sexuality, colonialism, violence, self-esteem, and more. It will break your heart but also inspire you and stimulate some good thought and discussion (I lead a book discussion on this title and it was a perfect pick!).