Purple Hibiscus

Continuing the book review theme, I'd like to recommend anyone with an interest in Nigeria, or Africa read Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In fact even if you don't care about Nigeria, you should read it as it may open your mind to a different life.

Not being a "guy's" book, it's not something I'd normally read, but I borrowed a copy of it from a colleague of mine in Nigeria, when I'd run out of reading material.

The book follows the life of Kambili, a teenage girl coming of age in Enugu State, Nigeria at the time of a great political transition. The story fits in with circumstances that surrounded General Babangidas Coup d'état in 1985. Although real names aren't used, if you know a little of the history of that time then you can piece things together. (research Dele Giwa, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Alfred Rewane)

Kambili is the daughter of a wealthy, philanthropic, widely respected Man who's Fundamentalist Catholic views bring him to cause tremendous harm and abuse to his family. Living with the Dichotomy of pride and fear of her father drives the narative in the story, when Kambili and her brother Jaja visit their Fathers sister their eyes are opened to a more liberal way of life. Despite being a desperately poor widowed unemployed university lecturer, Their Aunt and her children lead seemingly happy lives and Kambili and JaJa start to realise that the world isn't what they thought it was.

I thought the book portrays a view on life that only a Nigerian could express. I've been in and out of Nigeria for nearly 5 years and only after reading this book did a lot of things 'click' into place in my mind. The style of writing is very westernised, which makes it all the more accessible to the likes of me, but I was pleased to see plenty of Igbo and Pidgin English dotted through the Narrative, always keeping you aware that this is Africa.

Sometimes it was hard to interpret what was meant by some of the phrases used, particularly the terms of endearment that are common throughout. I had the advantage of being able to ask a Nigerian the meaning of some of the phrases, and I expect readers without that advantage will have frustrations at not being able to grasp the full meaning but I'm sure you can get the gist of such phrases when looking at the context of the usage.

So Highly reccommended and worth the read!

See it at amazon