Wearing Purple

by Lydia Lewis Alexander, Marilyn Hill Harper, Otis Holloway Owens

Forty years ago, four black women met at Talladega College and began an enduring friendship that has sustained them through the tumultuous social events of the past four decades and the personal events that fill their private lives. Nearly eight years ago, these women--Mildred, Otis, Marilyn, and Lydia--though they all lived in different parts of the country, decided to form a "working circle" friendship and write letters to each other. In these letters, the women explore thoughts and feelings about their current and future life experiences.

Wearing Purple is a compilation of these heartfelt letters, revealing the joy, sadness, laughter, and fears of four friends approaching middle age. Sharing these experiences, which range from raising children to approaching retirement to discussing sex and race issues, has helped these women find a truer, deeper meaning in their lives.

223 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 1996

Reviews

[Dollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is made of letters from Lydia Alexander, Marilyn Harper, Otis Owens and Mildred Patterson, four women who met at Talladega College in the mid-1950s, and kept up their friendships for the next 40 years, through letters to each other and yearly meetings. They discuss so many subjects that concern ALL women who are growing older - the loss of attraction to the opposite sex, menopause, children moving away from home, bodies that are spreading, parents becoming ill, losing a spouse through divorce or death, depression, retirement, dressing attractively, yet comfortably, and the list goes on and on. I admired these women greatly for their dedication to their families and each other. After reading this book (there are author bios at the end), I really felt like I knew these wise and kind women and hope that I can handle the challenges that lie ahead of me as well as all of these women seemed to. This book also shows the importance of maintaining strong friendships with other women as we grow older. I highly recommended this book.