Gathering Blossoms Under Fire
The Journals of Alice Walker, 1965–2000
by Alice Walker
Pub Date 12 Apr 2022
Simon & Schuster
Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult)



I am reviewing a copy of Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker, 1965-2000


I was more than excited, , when I was accepted as a reviewer through Netgalley And Simon and Schuster for Gathering Blossoms Under Fire, and I can say I was not disappointed, where I can’t say I agreed with every aspect of the journals, I can say I enjoyed the book immensely, and read it over a period of several days, drawn into the life o this remarkably talented woman, and writer.


For the first time we get an intimate look into Alice Walker’s life from the period of 1965-2000 through her journals. The critically claimed author of A Color Purple gives us an intimate look into her thoughts and feelings over different aspects of her life, her thoughts, and her feelings as a woman, a writer, an African American as well as a wife, a daughter, a mother, a lover, a sister, a friend, a citizen of the world.


In a singular voice these journals allow us to get an understanding of her thoughts and feelings as she explores an astonishing array of events, she took part in from marching with the other foot soldiers of the a wife, a daughter, a mother, a lover, a sister, a friend, a citizen of the world.


I give Gathering Blossoms Under Fire five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

"The evil in the world continues to astound, but so does the courage of the human spirit to express itself at even higher levels of compassion & hope. This keeps us going, though exhaustion is a constant companion.”

Going into these journals, I had a narrow understanding of who Alice Walker is. I'd known about her success with The Color Purple, her partial blindness due to a childhood accident, and her work to preserve Zora Neale Hurston's legacy. I now have a more intimate understanding of the prolific writer and womanist that she is.

These journal entries are remarkable - 560 pages that span the 60s to the 2000s, capturing her thoughts on relationships and marriage, motherhood, career and finances, her body, friendships, activism, spirituality, and (bi)sexuality. She reveals an incredible amount of detail about her life: Her insecurities, disappointments, how her views, body, and relationships evolved (including with her mother, ex-husband, and daughter). Walker wrote a great deal about the makings of The Color Purple, and fans of it may appreciate learning about development of the storyline and characters. She also spent time exposing the cruelty of FGM after spending time in Africa for TCP. She critiques other writers and notes their impact on her
in life and death. Was surprised to see her open up about her crush on Quincy Jones and (formerly private) relationship with Tracy Chapman.

Appreciate learning that "And of course, there will be a volume two." and look forward to reading about her life over the last 20+ years.

Many thanks to Alice Walker, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an early copy in exchange for an honest review before it’s release in April.

The incomparable Alice Walker! It was exciting to have access to her innermost thoughts. There is nothing more personal than the words one writes when they think no one will read them. Another worthwhile read by Alice Walker.

Good writing but didn't find anything that really made me think or reconsider. Interesting characters. I felt the writer was driven and pushed herself beyond what she was capable of doing with her own dharma.

Amazingly intimate, detailed portrait of the writer in her own words. Students and lovers of Walker's fiction will be fascinated. It's also a priceless record of an era in culture and literature that saw many important changes.

What a gift to recieve new words written by Alice Walker. This book is exceptional and I really enjoyed getting to know Alice that much better.