The Color Purple By Alice Walker

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A Pulitzer winning novel made into a much-nominated movie, The Color Purple, hardly needs an introduction. It is ostensibly a story about two sisters, Celie and Nettie, writing to each other across continents but in reality it is a story of growing up and coming into one’s own. This is particularly true of Celie, whose voice is stronger and more intimate of the two.

Abused and used, Celie is a typical product of her times (the forties), race (African-American) and gender (woman) who knows no better and expects no different. That is until Shug comes into her life. Shug, a flamboyant woman, somewhat notorious, a blues singer for whom Celie’s husband has a thing. So Shug first comes into Celie’s life as the Other Woman. But the fiery, bisexual Shug quickly becomes more.

It is through her relationship with Shug that Celie finally finds self-worth and independence. It is a beautiful example of the empowerment that one woman can offer another via a respectful relationship.

The novel spans a period of thirty years – from the time Celie is fourteen to the time she is forty-four. The backbone of the novel is the relationship between Celie and Shug and the watershed changes that this relationship has.

The Color Purple is absorbing and an excellent book.


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Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café By Fannie Flagg

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This is an all-time classic in lesbian romance. In fact, it can just be termed as an all-time classic. It is a truly dazzling work of non-linear narrative – one of the most difficult types of writing to carry off.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café was made into a movie which shied away from delving or stating its obviously gay storyline and didn’t do justice to the brilliant book. A good movie, but not a patch on the book. If you have seen the movie, just forget it and get ahold of this book.

There is zero erotica in this masterpiece, but the depth and breadth of emotion between the two women, Idgie and Ruth, is compelling and passionate. There is just one instance when Ruth overtly states her feelings for Idgie, and that too, using a quote from the Bible: And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

 The complete acceptance of their relationship by every other character in the narrative is simply beautiful – especially considering that it is set in the thirties. Idgie and Ruth are amazingly detailed and both are completely lovable.  

This is one of the most intense love stories ever – and joy, it is about two women.

This is unmissable.

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