Half of a Yellow Sun
by Deb McVittie
December 28th, 2010 06:51 AM
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie is a powerful novel set in the author’s native Nigeria in the late 1960s during the Biafran struggle for independence, a conflict that claimed more than a million lives. It is about ethnic allegiances and war, compassion and love, and ultimately, the struggle to survive.
Although the narrative is a difficult one, Adichie infuses her words with humanity, empathy and the grace of a natural storyteller. This is a book you won’t want to put down.
Half of a Yellow Sun is not a dry retelling of history: the reader lives the political events of the times through the medium of Adichie’s unforgettable characters. You will feel an immediate bond with 13-year-old Ugwu, who has left his impoverished family to work as a houseboy for Odenigbo, a radical professor full of hope for newly independent Nigeria. Olanna, Odenigbo’s mistress, is rebellious but compassionate, her character a flesh and blood reflection of the politics that drive this story.
We follow Ugwu, Odenigbo, and Olanna into a bloody three year civil war, and share the tragedies and triumphs of their emotional and physical journeys as their loyalties to one another are tested.
In Adichie’s own words: “I have always wanted to write about Biafra — not only to honor my grandfathers, but also to honor the collective memory of an entire nation. Writing Half of a Yellow Sun has been my re-imagining of something I did not experience but whose legacy I carry. It is also, I hope, my tribute to love: the unreasonable, resilient thing that holds people together and makes us human.” Adichie’s writing is masterful: you will want to linger on the beautiful African tapestry of this story.
Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie was born on September 15, 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria, to Igbo parents. Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, was shortlisted for the Orange Fiction Prize and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (2005). Chimamanda now divides her time between Nigeria and the United States.
Deb McVittie is the new owner of 32 Books Co. in Edgemont Village
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Apr - May 07
Although the narrative is a difficult one, Adichie infuses her words with humanity, empathy and the grace of a natural storyteller. This is a book you won’t want to put down.
Half of a Yellow Sun is not a dry retelling of history: the reader lives the political events of the times through the medium of Adichie’s unforgettable characters. You will feel an immediate bond with 13-year-old Ugwu, who has left his impoverished family to work as a houseboy for Odenigbo, a radical professor full of hope for newly independent Nigeria. Olanna, Odenigbo’s mistress, is rebellious but compassionate, her character a flesh and blood reflection of the politics that drive this story.
We follow Ugwu, Odenigbo, and Olanna into a bloody three year civil war, and share the tragedies and triumphs of their emotional and physical journeys as their loyalties to one another are tested.
In Adichie’s own words: “I have always wanted to write about Biafra — not only to honor my grandfathers, but also to honor the collective memory of an entire nation. Writing Half of a Yellow Sun has been my re-imagining of something I did not experience but whose legacy I carry. It is also, I hope, my tribute to love: the unreasonable, resilient thing that holds people together and makes us human.” Adichie’s writing is masterful: you will want to linger on the beautiful African tapestry of this story.
Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie was born on September 15, 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria, to Igbo parents. Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, was shortlisted for the Orange Fiction Prize and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (2005). Chimamanda now divides her time between Nigeria and the United States.
Deb McVittie is the new owner of 32 Books Co. in Edgemont Village
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Apr - May 07
