In an interview for The Guardian in 2007 upon the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Color Purple, Alice Walker explains the original inspiration for writing the book. "I think I was longing, really, to know my ancestors better - the immediate ancestors. My parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents, and I just started thinking . . . that I could write a story about them that I would enjoy, because it would mean spending time with them . . . with people I hadn't had a chance to spend time with, growing up."
The novel is a story of overcoming the obstacles present in a harsh reality. In particular, that reality involves sexual and physical abuse, poverty, racism, and gender...
