A review by mrjess_bhs
The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

5.0

I really liked this novel. I can see how the magical realism, multiple narrators, and spiritualism might bog some readers down, but I really vibed with what Walker was putting down. Even though the move starts with unfamiliar characters, they quickly pulled my interest in and as the connections between one another and the characters of The Color Purple reveal themselves, I was even more enthralled. Walker makes a strong claim of the unique experience of the oppression of Black women and creates a mythology that provides reflection and hope. The storytelling done by the characters may feel disjointed compared to the linear flow of many novels, but I felt like it captured the importance of oral history and storytelling in understanding humanity and our collective story.