New York Times contributing critic at large Salamishah Tillet captures in her captivating new book
In Search Of The Color Purple: The Story Of An American Masterpiece. Through archival footage, interviews, and her own analysis, the Rutgers professor proves Alice Walker s 1982 book is more than a Pulitzer-winning novel, 1985 Steven Spielberg film, or Tony-winning Broadway play. As Tillet stresses, this story of sisterhood, sexual violence, healing, and resilience is a rite of passage for many Black women, a necessary thread that connects us to those who have come before, especially our ancestors.
Tillet also pays homage to the beloved characters by dividing her book into three sections Celie, Shug and Sofia that take us on a journey of uncovering and rediscovering how this beautiful tale was conceived, birthed, and has thrived for nearly four decades.