The temple of my relatives

Written shortly after The Color Purple , Alice Walker's acclaimed novel The Temple of My Familiars debuts at José Olympio with a new translation after almost 30 years off the shelves.

In The Temple of My Kindred , Alice Walker introduces us to people whose history is ancient and whose future is yet to come. Written shortly after The Color Purple , a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and an American Book Award winner, this novel helped establish Walker as one of America's most important writers.

Here we meet Lissie, a woman of many lives; Zedé, a Latin American teacher convicted of supporting her country's revolution, but who flees to San Francisco after giving birth to her daughter Carlotta; Arveyda, the great musician with whom Carlotta shares a strong connection, both immigrants; Suwelo, a historian, and his ex-wife Fanny, who falls in love with spirits and seeks her own liberation. Intertwined within these stories are Fanny's grandmothers: Celie and Shug, the beloved characters from The Color Purple .

Defined by the author herself as “a novel of the last 500,000 years,” The Temple of My Family intertwines the past and the present in a complex tapestry of stories, exploring, with touches of magical realism, the themes of colonialism, oppression and spiritual recovery.

“Brilliant […]. Part romance, part visionary history, part revolutionary treatise, this book will delight, shock […] and inspire Alice Walker fans.” — USA Today

“One of the best American writers working today.” — Washington Post

“A celebration of life and everyday emotions.” — Los Angeles Times

“Alice Walker is an extraordinarily gifted writer.” — New York Times