In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens.

Inscribed by the author on the half title page, "For Eileen, Peace & Sisterhood, Alice Walker 12. 83".

First edition. 8vo., original quarter purple cloth over purple boards, black design to front board, spine lettered in bronze, peculiarly issued with two dust jackets, perhaps indicative of advance copies (other copies with similar peculiarity are from the library of her editor John Ferrone). New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

A presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page in purple ink, "For Eileen, Peace & Sisterhood, Alice Walker 12. 83".

Womanist prose by the author of The Color Purple. A collection of essays, articles, reviews, and opinions, many of which were previously featured in a wide range of publications, including, Ms. magazine, the New York Times, The Black Scholar, and elsewhere. The articles included are on the theme of her novel The Color Purple, the title piece being an essay on black women in relation to their families, their mothers, to each other, to black men, to white society, and the world at large. Also included are a selection of reviews of other writers, including Zora Neale Hurston, and Flannery O'Connor, as well as wide-ranging essays on the Civil Rights Movement, nuclear weapons, and antisemitism.

Walker's definition of Womanist can be found at the beginning of her book: "From Womanish [...] A black feminist or feminist of color. From the black folk expression of mothers to female children, "You acting womanish," i.e., like a woman. Usually referring to outrageous, audacious, corageous or willful behavior [...] A woman who loves other women [...] Loves music. Loves dance. Loves the moon [...] Womanist is to Feminist as purple to lavendar." Walker coined the term in her 1979 short story 'Coming Apart'.  

A very good copy, with sunning to the top edge of the boards, small tears to top and bottom of both dust jacket spines, and top of rear panel, the top dust jacket quite sunned to the spine, the other not so. Otherwise a clean copy. .

Stock Code: 230581