The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
The Color Purple is an acclaimed epistolary novel by
American author Alice Walker. Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, this
collection of letters weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love
for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. In
this, The Color Purple focuses on black female life in the American South
during the 1930s, addressing the numerous issues including their exceedingly
low position in American social culture. The novel received the 1983 Pulitzer
Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. Because of the explicit content,
particularly in terms of violence, The Color Purple has been a frequent target
of censors, appearing on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most
Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999.
First Edition Identification and Notes
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich first published The Color Purple
in New York in 1982. First editions state “First Edition” on the copyright page
along with “BCDE,” the publisher’s code.
Other Collectible or Notable Editions
In 1992, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt published a hardcover Tenth
Anniversary Edition of The Color Purple, which includes a new preface by the
author.
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Available copies

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Xochis Bookstore and Gallery
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- ISBN
- 9780151191536
- Item Price
-
£1,980.72
Show Details
Description:
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. 245pp.; HB quarter-bound; white w/purple&silver; slight rub w/lt.wear on edges; lt.soil,foredge; clean,tight pgs. DJ palegray w/purple-pic.cover; slight rub. Walker's classic of two sisters in a period between the World Wars. laid in signed title page from the paperback editiion.. Signed. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 8vo -… Read more
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Item Price
£1,980.72

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- Grayshelf Books, IOBA, TXBA
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Fine
- ISBN
- 9780151191536
- Item Price
-
£1,196.69
Show Details
Description:
First Edition/Early Printing in the 2nd state jacket with the $12.95 price to the front flap; A Fine book in a Near Fine dust jacket. SIGNED by the author directly to the title page. An outstanding copy of this seminal novel, winner of multiple awards and basis for the Spielberg movie; a Classic of 20th Century Literature. This copy is… Read more
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£1,196.69

The Color Purple (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 2003-05-01
- Condition
- Used:Good
- ISBN
- 9781417632817
- Item Price
-
£790.79
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Description:
Turtleback, 2003-05-01. School & Library Binding. Used:Good.
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£790.79

The Color Purple
by WALKER, Alice
- Seller
- Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Fine
- Item Price
-
£742.77
Show Details
Description:
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First edition. Slight rub on the spine else fine in about fine first issue dustwrapper with a couple of tiny smudges. The author's best-known novel, winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Additionally the basis for the 1985 Steven Spielberg film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey,… Read more
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£742.77

The Color Purple - SIGNED by the Author
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- John Atkinson Books
- Published
- 1986
- Item Price
-
£650.00
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Description:
London: The Women's Press, 1986. A first edition, first printing published by The Women's Press in 1986. A near fine book without inscriptions - SIGNED by the Author on the title page in a very good+ unclipped wrapper with some wear to the corners and a trifle pushed to spine tips. A genuinely scarce signed edition of the the… Read more
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£650.00

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Timothy Norlen Bookseller
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- First American Edition
- Item Price
-
£519.94
Show Details
Description:
New York: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1982. Winner of both the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize. Basis for excellent film. Bookplate on front endpaper applied with glue, else fine. Jacket is bright and fresh with short crease and tiny wrinkle on back panel. First edition stated then B C D E on copyright page. .… Read more
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£519.94

The Color Purple
by WALKER, ALICE
- Seller
- Hard To Find Books
- Item Price
-
£209.92
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Description:
The Women's Press 1986. FIRST UK HARDCOVER EDITION, super octavo, black heavy card boards, silver gilt lettering to spine, 245pp, VG+ (light bruising to spine extrems, ligth scuffing & foxing to page edges) in d/w, VG (light to moderate creasing & chipping to edges, light chafing & soiling to covers)
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£209.92

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- Sparrow's Bookshop
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Very good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
£206.33
Show Details
Description:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. First edition, early printing with "BCDE" present on copyright page but lacking "First Edition". Jacket protected in mylar. Pages are clean and unmarked and binding is tight. Buckram along spine has faded, corners are bumped and spine ends are softened. Cover has some tears and chipping along edges… Read more
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£206.33

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 2001-05-10
- Condition
- Used:Good
- ISBN
- 9780704346666
- Item Price
-
£186.06
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Description:
Women's Press Ltd,The, 2001-05-10. Paperback. Used:Good.
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£186.06

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Lost Paddle Books, IOBA
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First US Edition/2nd Printing
- ISBN
- 9780151191536
- Item Price
-
£165.06
Show Details
Description:
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. First US Edition/2nd Printing. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. Second Printing of the author's highly acclaimed novel with printing sequence 'BCDE' on copyright page and no statement of edition. In ivory boards with purple spine cloth and silver type. Vertical crease to spine which is very slightly cocked. Some small stains to bottom… Read more
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£165.06

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Keeper of the Page
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 2nd Printing
- ISBN
- 9780151191536
- Item Price
-
£160.19
Show Details
Description:
USA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1982 2nd Printing Near Fine/Very Good DJ Light tip wear to white boards o/w Fine, purple cloth spine with silver lettering. Faint soil to page edges. Light wear to bright glossy dust jacket with tiny mended chips and tears.. 2nd Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good DJ.
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£160.19

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- John Atkinson Books
- Published
- 1986
- Item Price
-
£150.00
Show Details
Description:
London: The Women's Press, 1986. A first edition, first printing published by The Women's Press in 1986. A near fine book without inscriptions in a very good+ clipped wrapper with some wear to the corners and a touch of spotting to the endlfaps.
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£150.00

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Fine Book Cellar Limited ABA ILAB PBFA
- Published
- 1983
- Condition
- Very Good+
- Edition
- First
- Item Price
-
£150.00
Show Details
Description:
First edition, first impression (The Women's Press Limited, 1983). The true first UK edition, preceding the first hardback edition, which was issued three years later. Originally published in the US the previous year.
The book bears signs of having been read carefully by way of a slight spine slant and mild creasing along spine; edges slightly toned with one or… Read more
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£150.00

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Lost Paddle Books, IOBA
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Good
- Edition
- First US Edition/First Printing
- ISBN
- 9780151191536
- Item Price
-
£148.55
Show Details
Description:
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. First US Edition/First Printing. Hardcover. Good /Fair. A First Printing of the author's highly acclaimed novel with First Edition stated and with correct letter sequence BCDE on copyright page. In ivory boards with purple spine cloth and silver type(a little dulled). Corners still pretty sharp, though all dinged and/or split. Some… Read more
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£148.55

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- The Second Shelf
- Published
- 1986
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Item Price
-
£100.00
Show Details
Description:
London: The Women's Press, 1986. Winner of the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Color Purple was first published in hardback in the UK by The Women's Press. Walker's arresting first person narrative is epistolary, told in letters. Celie's coming of age story frankly discusses rape, traumatic loss of family, and the love and friendship of women. The Women's… Read more
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£100.00

The Color Purple: A Novel (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780816141418
- Item Price
-
£96.27
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Description:
Hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£96.27

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1982-06-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780151191536
- Item Price
-
£82.59
Show Details
Description:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982-06-01. Hardcover. New. New.
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£82.59

The Color Purple (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9781417632817
- Item Price
-
£81.88
Show Details
Description:
Library Binding. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£81.88

Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Transmutation Publishing
- Published
- 1982
- Edition
- First
- Item Price
-
£74.28
Show Details
Description:
1982. First. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Pubs., NY, 1982; 1st edition, 7th printing (G); very fine condition with a fine dust jacket; Alice Walker; Literature
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£74.28

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- J. E. MILES, A BOOKSELLER
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Good/No Dust Wrapper
- Item Price
-
£74.19
Show Details
Description:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Good/No Dust Wrapper. 1982. Hard Cover. (I343) .
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£74.19

The Color Purple (MCI) (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)
by Alice Walker (Editor)
- Seller
- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 2000-01-01
- Condition
- Used:Good
- ISBN
- 9780791056660
- Item Price
-
£73.64
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Description:
Chelsea House Publications, 2000-01-01. Hardcover. Used:Good.
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£73.64

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 2001-01-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780704346666
- Item Price
-
£73.21
Show Details
Description:
Women's Press Ltd,The, 2001-01-01. Paperback. New.
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£73.21

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 2007-11-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780753818923
- Item Price
-
£72.20
Show Details
Description:
Phoenix, 2007-11-01. Paperback. New. As new.
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£72.20

Color Purple
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1987-03-15
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671647452
- Item Price
-
£71.67
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Description:
Pocket, 1987-03-15. Mass Market Paperback. New. New.
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£71.67

The Color Purple: Tenth Anniversary Edition
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Ed's Editions Bookstore
- Published
- 1992-05-22
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First THUS
- ISBN
- 9780151191543
- Item Price
-
£70.15
Show Details
Description:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1992-05-22. First THUS. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. First Thus- First Edition, First Printing of the Tenth Anniversary Edition. Dust jacket and book are clean, has a good binding, no marks or notations. Minor overall wear. Dust jacket price not clipped. Minor foxing to the top page edge.
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£70.15

Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1996-01-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671668785
- Item Price
-
£69.86
Show Details
Description:
Pocket Books, 1996-01-01. Paperback. New.
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£69.86

The Color Purple / The Temple of My Familiar
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780547555638
- Item Price
-
£66.90
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Description:
Hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£66.90

The Color Purple: Tenth Anniversary Edition
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1992-05-22
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780151191543
- Item Price
-
£65.73
Show Details
Description:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1992-05-22. Hardcover. New. New.
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£65.73

The Color Purple (Wildfire Books)
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780521403979
- Item Price
-
£62.86
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Description:
Hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£62.86

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1998-02-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671019075
- Item Price
-
£56.61
Show Details
Description:
Washington Square Press, 1998-02-01. Paperback. New.
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£56.61

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1983-01-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671458539
- Item Price
-
£55.06
Show Details
Description:
Washington Square Press, 1983-01-01. Paperback. New.
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£55.06

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1985-06-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671617028
- Item Price
-
£54.47
Show Details
Description:
Pocket Books (Mm), 1985-06-01. Mass Market Paperback. New.
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£54.47

The Color Purple
by WALKER ALICE
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1983-06-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671526023
- Item Price
-
£54.40
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Description:
Pocket Books, 1983-06-01. Paperback. New.
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£54.40

The Color Purple (Musical Tie-in)
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 2006-11-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780156031820
- Item Price
-
£54.28
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Description:
Harvest Books, 2006-11-01. Mass Market Paperback. New. New.
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£54.28

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 2003-01-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780156028356
- Item Price
-
£54.28
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Description:
Harvest Books, 2003-01-01. Paperback. New. New.
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£54.28

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1990-04-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671727796
- Item Price
-
£52.93
Show Details
Description:
Pocket, 1990-04-01. Mass Market Paperback. New. New.
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£52.93

The Color Purple (Color Purple (1))
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9781440792304
- Item Price
-
£52.17
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Description:
Audio CD. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£52.17

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- Alba's Books
- Published
- 1992
- Condition
- As New
- Edition
- First Thus
- Item Price
-
£49.52
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Description:
New York: (GRACE) Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992. First Thus. Hardcover. As New/As New. Octavo. With the 'A' on the copyright page, this is the Tenth Anniversary Edition with a new preface by the author, and in a new, attractive format with new cover art by Joan Eda. A pristine copy, clean and unmarked.
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£49.52

Color Purple
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780671647452
- Item Price
-
£49.43
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Description:
Mass Market Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£49.43

The Color Purple: Tenth Anniversary Editon
by Alice Walker
- Seller
- Ergodebooks
- Published
- 1992-05-22
- Condition
- Used:Good
- ISBN
- 9780151191543
- Item Price
-
£47.55
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Description:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1992-05-22. Hardcover. Used:Good.
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£47.55

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780151191536
- Item Price
-
£47.09
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Description:
Hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£47.09

The Color Purple (Harvest Book)
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780756929732
- Item Price
-
£46.11
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Description:
Library Binding. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£46.11

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781690382690
- Item Price
-
£42.63
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Description:
Hardcover. New. Brand New.
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£42.63

The Color Purple: Tenth Anniversary Edition
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780151191543
- Item Price
-
£42.47
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Description:
Hardcover. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£42.47

The Color Purple
by WALKER, ALICE
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780704339057
- Item Price
-
£42.15
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Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£42.15

The Color Purple (Musical Tie-in)
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780156031820
- Item Price
-
£41.84
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Description:
Mass Market Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£41.84

Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780671668785
- Item Price
-
£41.27
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Description:
Paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
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£41.27

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- J. E. MILES, A BOOKSELLER
- Published
- 1983
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780671458539
- Item Price
-
£41.22
Show Details
Description:
Washington Square. Good. 1983. Soft Cover. 0671458531 (L324) .
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£41.22

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- AlrightBookstore
- Published
- 1983
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780671526023
- Item Price
-
£41.22
Show Details
Description:
Washington Square. New - May Have Minor Shelf Wear To Edges. - For More Information On Condition. Please See All Photos. - Life Wasn't Easy For Celie. But She Knew How To Survive, Needing Little To Get By. Then Her Husband's Lover, A Flamboyant Blues Singer, Barreled Into Her World And Gave Celie The Courage To Ask… Read more
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£41.22

The Color Purple
by Walker, Alice
- Seller
- J. E. MILES, A BOOKSELLER
- Published
- 1982
- Condition
- Good
- Item Price
-
£41.22
Show Details
Description:
Harcourt. Good. 1982. Soft Cover. (I213) .
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£41.22