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Cover of Alice Walker

Alice Walker

by Evelyn C. White

Book Details

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Published:2004
Pages:580
Format:BOOK
Language:en
ISBN:9780393058918

Reading Info

About This Book

Drawing on papers, letters, journals, and extensive interviews with Walker, her family, friends, and colleagues, and with leading American cultural figures including Gloria Steinem, Quincy Jones, and Oprah Winfrey, White assesses one of the most influential writers of modern time.

Our Review

This definitive biography offers an intimate portrait of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, drawing from unprecedented access to Alice Walker's personal archives and candid interviews with her inner circle. Evelyn C. White constructs a nuanced narrative of the literary icon's journey from a sharecropper's daughter in rural Georgia to a globally celebrated novelist and activist. The work meticulously traces how Walker's experiences with racism, sexism, and political struggle fueled the creation of seminal works like The Color Purple, establishing her as a cornerstone of modern American literature.

What distinguishes this biography is its multi-faceted approach, weaving together perspectives from cultural luminaries like Gloria Steinem and Oprah Winfrey with Walker's own private writings to reveal the complex woman behind the public figure. The result is a profoundly humanizing exploration of an artist whose work has given voice to generations of Black women and reshaped our cultural landscape. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of how Walker's radical empathy and unwavering principles forged a legacy that continues to inspire writers and activists today.

Themes

Biography & Autobiography

Subjects

Biography & Autobiography