The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt, [2006], c. 1982) Call #: YA F WALKER Locations: All 10 locations The Color Purple is a touching story told through the eyes and diary entries of Celie, a young woman who has been married off by her “father” to an older, abusive farmer named Albert, whom she simply refers to as “Mr.” Celie lives in a world of racism, abuse, and sexism in the Deep South during the mid to late 1900’s. As a woman of this time, she is poor and uneducated, bound by the confines of racial discrimination and poverty. Trapped in her life and in her mind, the only comfort she feels is in talking to God. As a teen, she is abused by her “father” and as a result, bares two of his children who are taken away from her and adopted by a religious couple performing missionary work. Celie’s sister Nettie is introduced to readers as a young woman who sees herself and her sister as all each other has. As a result, “Mr.” actively separates the sisters and denies them any contact with each other for years. Celie is truly alone until a worldly woman named Shug Avery blows into town and her life, unlocking things for her that she never dared or knew were there or possible. Under Shug’s care, Celie finds her voice and her strength to stand up to her husband and live her life the way she sees fit. After leaving her husband, Celie’s life flourishes and the happiness she was so long denied is given to her in the arms of her sister and her long lost children. Christine Flynn, Library Page, Governor’s Square Branch Library Secondhand Shadow by Elizabeth Belyeu (Astraea Press, c. 2014) Call #: YA SF BELYEU Location: All 10 locations plus Override For the last several years, paranormal romances have been all the rage. For the most part, I have kept my distance from the genre. It is just not “my thing”, but I decided to give this book a try – mostly because I know the author. I am so glad that I did! The book puts a spin on classic vampire mythology and mixes it with modern day drama and the results are a compelling love story full of interesting characters and many, many nerdy references. Sure, I could be biased, given that the author is a library employee at the Morgan Library, but I believe this book is destined for wider fame and popularity. The pace was just right and it kept me reading happily late into the night and I literally could not put the book down for the last 5 chapters. This book is SO much better than Twilight (Meyer). I hope it gets just as much acclaim. Bravo, Elizabeth! Suzanne Horton, Librarian III, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library
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