Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Wow = This book! I love Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie—I read her book Purple Hibiscus last year and have been a keen admirer ever since. Half of a Yellow Sun (HOAYS) was a book I got last summer and has been waiting patiently all year long to be read. Finally, about a week ago, I picked it up and began to melt.

Based in Nigeria in c. the late 1960s, HOAYS follows the lives of about five characters throughout the drastic and catastrophic time for the young, valiant country of Biafra during its short existence. Painfully intimate and violent, Adichie has truly outdone herself with HOAYS. Even though I know I say in every book recommendation that the book was a pageturner, with HOAYS, I’m serious. I started it and was instantly riveted. Only my need to pack and prepare for camp pulled me away from finishing the book days ago.

HOAYS follows a range of different characters, all linked in time and relation, however, with many diverse perspectives and opinions. Olanna Ozobia, a character introduced relatively early in the book, is followed throughout her experiences coming from a wealthy Nigerian family but choosing to follow her own path as a lecturer at Nsukka University. Olanna, along with her lover Odenigbo and their houseboy Ugwu, are passionate believers in the need for the Igbo population of Nigeria to separate into a new nation. As tension around this issue boils into a massacre of Igbo people in certain areas of the country, Olanna becomes frighteningly caught in the crossfire. Further, through the book, Olanna, Odenigbo, Ugwu, as well as Olanna’s sister Kainene and her lover Richard, have their lives turned on their heads.

This book was captivating for its incredible writing and enigmatic characters, but most of all, I loved the history involved. I know almost nothing about the history of Nigeria and its ill-willed tribes, whose animosity lead to the creation of Biafra as a separate nation. Learning history has always been interesting for me, but I’ve never associated or incorporated it into fiction and captivating stories. HOAYS transformed that for me and made me realize that storytelling—especially history storytelling—was a tool to enrapture people beyond their usual enthusiasm for a topic.

For age recommendations for reading, I would definitely recommend an older age than usual (about 13 or older). There are many sexual topics discussed in depth, as well as complex political and social dynamics between Nigeria and other countries. Of course, this isn’t a dig at things that might be “too advanced” yadayadayada. I just find it frustrating when I read a book that is interesting but comprises concepts that go over my head. I think it’s definitely more enjoyable to read a book that you can fully understand.

All in all, HOAYS was a captivating and intense read I’d recommend to many, many people if given the chance. So, if you read it and find it as awesome as I do, please pass along the message to all your acquaintances (as well as random strangers on the street): “Half of a Yellow Sun is an 8/10 from Jade!”

Genre: contemporary/historical fiction

Age: 13+

Rating: 8/10