<DIV><p>First published in 1990, The Temple of My Familiar, Alice Walker's follow-up novel to her iconic The Color Purple, spent more than four months on the New York Times Bestseller list and was hailed by critics as a “major achievement” (<I>Chicago Tribune</I>).<BR><br> Described by the author as “a romance of the last 500,000 years,” <I>The Temple of My Familiar</I> follows a cast of interrelated characters, most of African descent, and each representing a different ethnic strain—ranging from diverse African tribes to the mixed bloods of Latin America—that contribute to the black experience in America.</p></div>