The Colour Purple established Alice Walker as America's foremost black feminist writer and her latest offering, By the Light of My Father's Smile, carries on Walker's trademark themes of family politics, power, lesbianism and black feminism. Senor Robinson relocates his family from the US to Mexico, where, against a backdrop of Latin American mysticism, his free-spirited daughter Magdelena commences an intense relationship with local boy Manuelito. Enraged, Robinson beats his daughter in an act of betrayal that changes the lives of each family member forever, and leaves him eternally wandering the earth after his death, desperately trying to make amends for his actions. This is a powerful and evocative story, delicately woven and skilfully told, but is something that not everyone will find to their taste. Sex throughout the novel is graphic and gratuitous, and designed to have maximum impact. It tends, however, to make too obvious a political statement by over-emphasising the tired old 1960s slogan of liberating oneself through sex. By the Light of My Father's Smile is strong on character, but weak on plot, and is unlikely to eclipse The Colour Purple. Overall, though, it is still a powerful and beautiful read.

Magda Petkoff is marketing manager at The Five Mile Press. 

C. 1998 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors

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