Books Like The Color Purple

Looking for books like The Color Purple? Told through letters, the story of a woman finding her voice and her own kind of family against enormous odds.

What tends to stick with readers is its emotional, resilience and epistolary feel. Heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful in equal measure. Below are 7 books that carry that feeling in different ways, matched on shared mood, themes and reading experience. The Color Purple is a medium, easy-paced read (reading level: easy to follow), so we've noted where each pick is quicker, slower or heavier.

The book you loved

The Color Purple

Alice Walker

7 books you might enjoy

1.
Beloved
Toni Morrison
Like The Color Purple, Beloved is emotional. Both carry the #classic tag. It's a more demanding read than The Color Purple.
Medium · Slow pace · Challenging
Explore this book →Books like Beloved
2.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini
Like The Color Purple, A Thousand Splendid Suns is emotional. The pace is quicker than The Color Purple's.
Medium · Fast pace · Easy to follow
Explore this book →Books like A Thousand Splendid Suns
3.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Like The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird is emotional. Both carry the #classic tag.
Medium · Easy pace · Easy to follow
Explore this book →Books like To Kill a Mockingbird
4.
The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank
The Diary of a Young Girl shares The Color Purple's emotional appeal. Both carry the #classic tag. It's an easier read than The Color Purple.
Medium · Easy pace · Beginner-friendly
Explore this book →Books like The Diary of a Young Girl
5.
The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye shares The Color Purple's emotional appeal. Both carry the #classic tag. It's the quicker read of the two.
Short · Easy pace · Easy to follow
Explore this book →Books like The Catcher in the Rye
6.
The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
If it was the emotional side of The Color Purple you loved, The Little Prince delivers it too. Both carry the #classic tag. It's the quicker read of the two.
Short · Easy pace · Beginner-friendly
Explore this book →Books like The Little Prince
7.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Like The Color Purple, Pride and Prejudice is emotional. Both carry the #classic tag.
Medium · Easy pace · Easy to follow
Explore this book →Books like Pride and Prejudice