At 14, Celie begins writing to God after Alphonso, the man she believes to be her father, threatens her if she tells anyone that he rapes her. These rapes result in two babies Alphonso blames on Celie’s supposed promiscuity, and Alphonso takes away each child after they are born to cover over his wrongdoing.

In her letters, Celie tells a harrowing tale. After Celie’s mother dies, her father begins turning his attention to Nettie, Celie’s clever little sister, but he eventually marries a much younger woman. Nettie begins dating Albert (called “Mr.____”), but when Albert asks the girls’ father to marry Nettie six years later, Alphonso refuses to allow the marriage because Albert’s first wife was murdered. There are also rumors about a scandalous liaison between Albert and Shug Avery, a beautiful blues singer. Alphonso eventually forces Albert to marry Celie instead after his new wife and Nettie begin to suspect that he is abusing Celie.

From her first day in Albert’s house, Celie struggles. Harpo, Albert’s oldest son, punches her, and the children are unruly and uncared for. Celie also sees two children she believes to be hers one afternoon as she visits a store in town.