Discovering that there is more out there, Celie decides to leave Albert, joining Shug, Mary Agnes and Grady in a move to Memphis. Incredulous to this is Albert and Harpo, sitting at a table with Sofia who seems at odds with the rest of her family. Before they leave, Albert denounces Celie, but Celie is equal to his verbal protestations. Cursing him as she leaves Celie affirms herself: "I’m pore. I’m black. I may be ugly. But I’m here."

Leaving with Shug Avery, Celie resides at Shug Avery Drive in a house decorated with elephants and turtles. The two draw up a plan for another – round – house, read the newspapers together, and Celie sews pants obsessively. Soon however, she feels it time to make her own way by setting up her own business.

While running ‘Folkspants Unlimited’ Celie hires two unmarried women Jarlene and Darlene, one of which tries to reform Celie’s way of speaking. Meanwhile, Celie designs some pants for Sofia. In letter seventy-eight, Sofia’s mother is buried. Days before she is buried Sofia successfully wins a battle with Harpo to carry her mother’s coffin from the church to the grave. While she is at the house Celie introduces Sofia and Harpo to reefer as they talk about Mary Agnes’ singing and her time with Grady. At the funeral, Celie encounters a ‘reformed’ Albert, guilty and in a demoralised state after realising his erroneous ways with Celie. It would seem Harpo has changed for the better also, helping his father get back on his feet and forcing him to send back all of Nettie’s letters.

In Africa, Nettie and Samuel are now married. The Olinka have been forced to move away and were forced to buy tin for their roofs as a substitute for their sacred roofleaf. Nettie, Samuel and the children travel back to England for help. On the way they encounter a rich well-bred lady called Doris Baines and her charge Harry. Back in Britain the party receive no help from the bishop. From here, Samuel ponders on his own life with Corrine, his aunts’ trials and tribulations with African people and in his anguish Nettie comforts him and the two fall in love and decide to enter matrimony. Meanwhile, Adam is missing Tashi, who is willing to go through with the female initiation ceremony to please the elders.