Purple Hibiscus: A Novel

being the first time ever reading a book in the setting of Nigeria, by a Nigerian author, i am very impressed by the strong ,beautifully written pages. The book really gives you a sense of what it's like being in a business mans house hold in Nigeria in the 1970s. it also sets the scene for a very abusive father and a family that is silent. this book provides many tense moments, as well as very joyous moments that make you smile. This book is very good at covering both ends of the spectrum, and it's a very well crafted story about how a family of four changed forever. Many different, distinct characters are introduced, and even some i wish i could bring to life. there is even a twist at the end which gave the book some spice. Over all it's a book that readers of all different genres could enjoy.

As with the other book, I ordered this book at the last minute to get to my son in MA for a school assignment. He received the book on time and was able to complete his assignment which was what we needed.

A young girl and her brother are terrorized by a tyrannical father. Her mother brutalized by his total control over her life and the lives of her children. The backdrop of African culture as seen through the eyes of a young girl makes the story compelling. A great examination of youthful optimism played against the daily routine of abuse and control. Beautifully written.

I've never read any novels written by African or Nigerian authors, but I'm so glad I came across this author. This book is so beautifully written, delicate, yet strong. I stopped many times to search online about the towns written about, the Nigerian cuisine and flowers. This book was not only a pleasure for my mind, but also for my senses

The book arrived promptly and was as advertised: in excellent condition and yet being sold at an extremely reduced price. I also received a personal note from the sender emphasizing her philosopy of custumer service.
Bonnie Friedman

Another required class book. This one I was not so interested in but I appreciated that it is an easy read so I could speed read through it. Time efficient when every teacher gives you the amount of work thinking this is the only class you take (when in reality you have about 4 more classes in college)

I am rather surprised by the number of accolades and awards this books has received. I did not find the writing breathtaking nor was I blown away by the plot. In fact, I found most of it quite predictable. I honestly did not connect with the main character or her story. While the writing is descriptive, the theme is not unique and I was disappointed that the main character did not, in my opinion, really transform at the end of her story. I was hoping for a braver, more fearless woman but I was not convinced that was what she had become. Not one I would recommend.

A compelling read but the crux of the plot line isn't fully developed. An interesting story nonetheless. I would recommend this to a friend. "Half of a Yellow Sun" is the one to read, I believe her second or third attempt. I enjoyed this book.

I bought this book because (if I recall correctly) it was long-listed for last years ManBooker Prize and also, (this I recall) because it had good reviews here on the store. Anyway, I was real disappointed. I quit paying attention after page 100 and quit outright a few pages later. I found the contrasting aspects of the Father's character interesting but after awhile so contrasting they felt way off reality. Character of aunt, cousin, priest, mom etc etc also grew gratingly "perfect." This may be excessive, but after a while I felt like I was reading a bit of sophisticated version of a teen romance novel. The comparisons with God of Small Things are seriously unflattering to Roy's great book. Comparisons with (the overrated) Memoirs of a Geisha or (also not finished) One Thousand Chestnut Trees would have been more appropriate.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has written a story of violence, of submission and power, of a country's suffering, of hypocrisy and denial, covering up and crying in silence. It needs to be read on several different levels. Violence in never evident but implied, pain is there, in every action and non-action. These wonderful women are the true heroines and the antidote for so much cruelty, Hope is tough but it's there. Excellent writer¡¡

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah was one of my favorite reads last year, and her Purple Hibiscus will be right up there on this year’s list, too. I don’t know how it took so long for me to find her books, but she has quickly become one of my favorite writers.

Purple Hibiscus tells the story of the Achike family through the eyes of Kambili, a young girl. Papa rules the family with an iron grip, infantilizing and militarizing and terrorizing his children in the name of love and religion. He’s a Big Man in Nigeria, a wealthy industrialist and publisher, one of the few willing to speak out against the latest military coup. He’s also generous with money, handing out small amounts in his tribal hometown and large amounts to the Catholic church and hospital. I was reminded of the moment early in Captain America: Civil War where Alfre Woodard’s character tells Tony Stark, “They say there’s a correlation between generosity and guilt.”

When events turn serious, Papa relents and lets Kambili and her older brother Jaja visit their aunt in a university town several miles away, where they get their first tastes of freedom. Kambili struggles with shyness and stammering out of fear of saying the wrong thing, made worse by her cousin of the same age criticizing her for her privilege and sheltered existence and inability to perform basic household tasks. Only now does Kambili start to express her own needs and desires and begin the process of growing into her own person.

The book’s structure means that we already know something has changed after this first visit to their aunt’s home, and we already know that the consequences will be severe. Adichie goes back to explain the lead-up to that visit and then follows onward after things start to fall apart, and she’s earned these later shocking moments with careful characterization and tight narrative. We know what these characters are capable of, so nothing comes across as gratuitous, only tragic.

This wasn’t an easy read. Several times, I had to close the book and walk away before I gave myself a rage stroke. Papa is fierce with his punishments yet also sincere in his own pain at having to inflict them. It’s probably the best embodiment of “this hurts me more than it hurts you” that I’ve ever seen, and while it's completely believable, it's also -- obviously -- infuriating. I grew up in a church that worshipped James Dobson’s Focus-on-the-Family methods of raising and disciplining children, and I’ve experienced some of what Kambili goes through in this story, and I’m still messed up for it, yet I know I’m lucky it wasn’t worse. People do terrible things in the name of their sincerely-held religious beliefs, and there isn’t enough time or money to make amends.

(This review was originally posted as part of Cannonball Read 10: Sticking it to Cancer, One Book at a Time.)

This is a first novel and it is a 5 star book. Adichie has written a memorable story of a Nigerian family.

A father who is a religious fanatic tries to raise his children with an iron fist. He terrorizes them into being

holy. The father is wealthy and generously helps people in the community, therefore he is respected and

revered. HIs children are taken in briefly by an aunt and her children. Jaja and Kambili, then learn about

laughter and love for the first time. Things will get even worse at home as the political situation throughout

the country deteriorates. The father becomes more abusive as he is stressed by business and by

politics. The people in this book are deeply religious. With some family members it is a healthy religion, while

less sophisticated members are still into idol worship. There is an almost love story. Kambili, aged 16 becomes

Infatuated with a young priest. He is responsible for changes in her life. As Kamili learns self respect and self

confidence, Jaja seems to be losing himself. This books well done. It is paced just right, the story moves along

and holds the reader's interest from the first to the last page.

Kambili is a young girl living with her parents and her older brother in Nigeria, Africa. Kambili and her family are devout Catholics and will not have any association with those who are not like them. Including other members of their own family. The book expands over a year from one Good Friday to the next with all kinds of disturbances within this family. Traveling back and forth from her home in Enugu to her aunts in Nsukka, Kambili learns a lot about life from these experiences. Why can't she speak to others the way her brother, Jaja, does? Why won't her father allow them to spend more than 15 minutes with their grandfather at Christmas?

This book went along very slowly for me. Mainly because I was moving during the process of reading it. The story as a whole was intriguing, but I kept hoping to get more. That more didn't come until the end of the book. I decided to read this book at this time for the One Maryland One Book reading program, where the whole state will read the same book. Our library had it available to borrow for everyone.

Overall, the book was good and I already have other books on my TBR by this author. I think that if I was focused more on the book, I would have been able to write a much better review.

Kambili has a very strict father. So strict, she has to follow a schedule everyday. When she is without the schedule, she's not quite sure exactly what to do with herself. Her older brother, Jaja seems to be a bit more defiant or able to say what is on his mind, Kambili finds trouble doing this. When turmoil disrupts in their small town, their father sends them a few hours away to stay with their aunt. The aunt is a lot more relaxed than their father and Kambili develops a relationship with the priest there and is able to find her own voice and way in the world. The father is also very cruel. When he finds out that the grandfather, who he thinks is a heathen, was staying with the aunt, while his kids were there, he punishes the kids in a way, I never expected.

This book has me with mixed feelings about a lot of things. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Purple Hibiscus is the story of a young Nigerian girl, fifteen year old Kambili. The daughter of a very wealthy man, she live a life of privilege with her parents and her brother Jaja. Things are not always what they seem and behind the closed doors of their home, Kambili lives a life of fear with her abusive fanatical father. He is a “super” Catholic, but has interpreted the tenants of his faith wrong and feels the need to punish his wife and children to keep them on the right path.

Kambili and Jaja go to visit their Aunt Ifeoma and her children for the first time and discover a very different world where you have to worry about getting enough food to eat, gas for your vehicle, electricity, and water. Aunt Ifeoma is a University Professor, but the growing unrest in the country and at her University have made times hard. As the country falls apart, so does Kambili’s world. Will she be able to find happiness?

Purple Hibiscus is the December pick for the FLICKS Book and Movie club. Sadly my vehicle died the night of book club and I was not able to make it. I would have liked to go and discuss this book. I thought it was very interesting and gave me hints of one of my favorite books, The Poisonwood Bible. I really liked that Kambili’s father was a complex character. He wasn’t just an abuser, he was a man trying to do the right thing on the national stage and work against the dictator, but that was causing harm to his workers and himself. He helped out a lot of people, but not his own family. I also like the glimpse into Aunt Ifeoma’s life as a university professor and also the dialogue about Catholicism in the country versus those that follow the old religion. There was so much to discuss!

Overall, Purple Hibiscus was a fascinating look into politics and religion in Nigeria and how it affected one girl’s life.

Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library

“From the beginning men used God to justify the unjustifiable.”

----Salman Rushdie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, an award winning Nigerian author, has penned an immensely absorbing family drama in her literary fiction novel, Purple Hibiscus where the author weaves the tale of a young Nigerian girl who belongs from a very rich and affluent family where the father of the family is a religious fanatic and used to torture his wife, his daughter and his son in the name of Christ if they commit a slight mistake, but when the young girl goes to live with her aunt during the military coup invasion, she learns ugly secrets about her not so perfectly religious family.

Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Kambili’s world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home.

When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili’s father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father’s authority. The visit will lift the silence from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound and unexpected ways. This is a book about the promise of freedom; about the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood; between love and hatred, between the old gods and the new.

Kambili, a fifteen year old girl, lives under constant fear of her religiously fanatic father who is an ardent Catholic man and owner of some factories as well as contributes for a newspaper where he freely expresses his opinion about politics and the country. Kambili and her elder brother, Jaja and her mother live in a palatial mansion but their lives and happiness are dominated by the man who is a strong believer of rules laced with religion. So if Kambili or Jaja or her mother makes even a slight mistake, they are punished physically to repent and to learn a lesson about making mistakes. But pretty soon, Nigeria falls under the rule of a military coup where political scandals, corruption, poverty and public execution became a common affair, and Kambili's father, who is an influential and affluent man in the society, sends away his kids to his sister's house, who lives inside an university campus, in a different town. In her aunt's house, where her children laugh out heartily and the household is always happy even though they are very poor, Kambili realizes the real definition of freedom and also tastes it along with her brother. But is it easy to escape from her father's wrath who pushes her down as well as denies from any freedom of childhood happiness to his own children?

This is the very first time that I grabbed my hands on an Adichie novel and that too her debut book which bagged quite a lot of literary awards. Although unfortunately, the story is not that remarkable as most reviews say so. Why? Well mainly because of the fact that the author has failed to depict an intimidating man through the narrative of his 15-year old daughter, and also the author's own hometown which is a fractured projection into its deep cores, thereby I failed to visually or mentally form an image of a country dominated by a military coup or its people facing grave troubles because of the coup.

The author's writing style is incredible, eloquent and extremely redolent that readers will grab the readers with its flair right from the very start. The narrative is extremely sorrowful as the author strikingly captures the pain and the longing for a free childhood through a fifteen year old girl's voice, that the readers will find it easy to comprehend with even though the narrative has so many layers within. The pacing is moderate, as the author unravels the story through dimension and underlying stories of a country falling apart besides the story of a young girl and her family.

As already mentioned before, the author's portrayal of Nigeria is really vivid, yet it is projected through fractures thereby stopping the readers to recreate the complete portrait of Nigeria. Apart from that, the author strongly depicts the then corruption, riots, denial from basic amenities like water to the common people, public execution, scandals when Nigeria came under the rule of a military coup that set a fear into the hearts of its countrymen. The dusty roads, the mass, the churches, the garden in Kambili's mansion, the rare purple hibiscus, the people, the language, the food and the culture, all these aspects are vividly captured that will let the readers to take a peek into the heart of Nigeria.

The characters from this book are well developed, especially the central character and the protagonist of the book, Kambili, who is drawn with enough realism to make the readers connect with her simple yet fearful demeanor. Although there is not much evolution into her demeanor, but somehow she learns to enjoy the basic happiness that a teenager must experience while she goes away from her home, and later that makes her a mature woman. Her sadness will deeply move the readers as she narrates her cry for freedom from her dominating and torturing father. The rest of the supporting characters are also well etched out but fails to leave a mark into the minds of the readers. And also the author failed to make the readers grasp the mentality of a strong and rich Catholic family man and his ideals.

In a nutshell, this enduring story is not only poignant but thoroughly enlightening that will make the readers lose themselves into the world of a fifteen year old Nigerian girl whose only wish is freedom for herself, for her brother and mother as well as for her own country.

Although this was the author's first novel I found it better than the later ones – “Half a Yellow Sun” and “Americana” - which were hailed. Having said that, the lethargic plot and lack of action put me off and I gave up towards the end as it seemed to be going nowhere.

It tells the story of a 15-year-old girl growing up in Nigeria during a period of military rule. Her father is a rich businessman, a fanatical Catholic who claims he is not corrupt yet in his private life is a dictator and even mutilates his son's hand because the boy failed to come top of the class. This side of her life is contrasted with the more traditional lifestyle of her aunt and, above all, her grandfather who believes in the traditional African gods and customs. The ambiguity over which language to speak – English or Igbo – highlights the differences and the girl faces the dilemma of anyone from a country that has been colonized – stick to the old ways or adopt the style of your “masters”.

I think I missed the point here. Is that due to careless reading or deceptive writing? While this is not your usual ultra simplistic historical novel there is no clue as to the era. Since part of the action takes place in Biafra, I was led to think that the coup referred to the one preceding the Biafran War. It turns out to be 30 years later in the regime of dictator General Sani Abachi.
The author's human rights protest gets lost in a strange family history of rich Nigerians, featuring abuse by a staunchly Catholic father. The most interesting discussion is whether Igbo religion represents traditionalism or paganism.
Are we supposed to hate organized religion or hate the rich?
The characters are not representative of their society.
There is desperate need of a map and glossary.
I don't know or care what the title alludes to.

What can I say about Purple Hibiscus? It was definitely an amazing first novel. This was my son’s summer reading assignment for school this year, so I thought I’d read it as well. As I said, it’s an amazing first novel with complex characters and a riveting storyline. There’s no way I could give this book any less than 5 stars. My son would disagree; he wasn’t very impressed with the book at all, especially the story’s heroine. I believe he found her weak and couldn’t understand why she didn’t just rebel against her situation. While I understand his frustration there, I couldn’t berate Kambili for many of her reactions/perceptions. This was a very difficult book to read- the story is not a happy one.

Hibiscus deals with a string of terrifying issues. The author weaves a tale comprised of government corruption that works its way into the heroine’s family life as if she didn’t need more unrest. There is also the aspect of physical and mental abuse in the family-the father is an absolute tyrant that uses religion to justify his violence.

What disturbed me so about the story wasn’t the fact that Kambili and her family were so… powerless to fight against the dominant male figure in the house, but the fact that there was so little hope in the story. There were aspects that were very alive and beautiful, but too soon were they overshadowed by an abundance of the negative. I’d be very curious to sit in on the conversations that my son’s high school English class will have about this book. I found the story to be unapologetically real and I applauded the author for that even as I cringed over the fact. I guess I wanted more happiness, more triumph given all that they’d gone through. Of course, I understand that situations like the ones depicted in this novel rarely offer the kinds of happily-ever-afters we hope for. I believe it’s that realness in this book that grips you. It really is a wonderfully written story that made me laugh, rage and; though not as often as I would have liked, cheer.

I decided to read Purple Hibiscus after my daughter purchased it for a book club. I’m so glad she did as it wasn’t a book that I had on my radar to read.

The main character is Kambili. Kambali is from a wealthy family in Nigeria. She lives in a beautiful house, eats well and goes to an exclusive school. Even though she is envied by many, we slowly learn that her life is not as wonderful as it seems. While everyone loves her father, thinking that he his kind and generous, at home he is a different man. He is religious to the point of tyranny. The children live a life where every second is scheduled out.

When Nigeria becomes unstable because of a coup, Kambali and her brother go to stay with an Aunt. Her father will have nothing to do with them, including his own father, considering them heathens. There Kambali discovers a different life. A life where people laugh and play, where there are no fixed schedules.

The book is both heart-breaking and heart-lifting.

Kambili and Jaja are teenaged siblings growing up in Enugu, Nigeria, and are part of a wealthy family. Their father runs a successful newspaper, as well as several prosperous factories, and is well respected in the community. He was converted to Christianity via missionaries as a younger man, and has since turned away from Nigerian culture and custom, deeming all those who don’t believe heretical, including his own father. The novel continues to unfold, as Kambili and Jaja travel outside their home town to stay with their aunt, where they discover a different way of life from the one they are used to.

First off, I would love for Adichie to write a memoir, however I feel like we get snippets of her experiences here and there throughout her books, which can hold me over for now – hint, hint. She clearly takes inspiration from her own life, as much of this story occurs in her home town. Likewise, Americanah is about a girl who moves from Nigeria to the United States to pursue her education, which Adichie also has done.

Purple Hibiscus is simply and beautifully written, and tells the story from Kambili’s point of view. She is a smart, scared, and stifled young woman, tip toeing her way through life, trying not to upset the precarious balance in her household. She, and her brother both, undergo great changes in their outlook on life and their attitudes towards their own family throughout the progression of this story.

Two themes which resonate with me in this book are those of hypocrisy in religion, as well as the idea of leading a double life. You learn early on in reading, that Kambili and Jaja’s father, whom they affectionately refer to as “Papa,” is a bit of a religious zealot, sacrificing just about everything for the sake of his religious beliefs. He is abusive towards his family in a myriad of ways, and tyrannical about upholding religious law and his children being “the best” in all they do. However, his behavior at home is hidden away, and overshadowed by his outpouring of religious speak and the abundant financial support he provides for members within his church community. On one hand, you see the exterior of this picture perfect family, with a successful father, doting wife, and well-disciplined, smart children; while on the other, inside the walls of their home, only resides deep-seeded fear and well-kept secrets.

All I can say is, if this is Adichie’s first novel, I can’t even WAIT to read Americanah, which I’ll hopefully be getting to later this month to keep up with the ladies over at The Socratic Salon. Adichie is clearly brilliant, and I think provides a unique and important perspective on life in general. Although this story takes place in Nigeria, a place I’ve never been, the themes are so powerful and relatable to my own existence. I feel it’s especially amazing when a book can teach me something external to my life experiences, and yet also affect me on a truly personal level.

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** spoiler alert ** Phew... This was a tough read for me. Don't get me wrong, it was a very engaging story that I easily got lost in. However, the subject matter was tough. I have a really hard time reading about the lives of people with extremely religious/political beliefs and in this story, there was a bit of both.

Kambili, her brother, and their mothers lives are completely controlled by their extremely religious father that punishes them for a wide variety of "sins". Even when their father wasn't physically present, we saw just how tight a hold he had on the family through the thoughts that Kambili had.

Throughout the story, the punishments that their father gave seemed to become worse and worse. Luckily, the siblings were able to go visit their Aunt for a time to learn what life was like outside of their home, and then again when things got really bad back at their home.

Chimamda Ngozi Adichie is such a good writer I almost stopped reading her novel.

In this first person narrative Kambili Achike describes life with her abusive father. After 100 pages, I could hardly stand living with him and almost abandoned the book. It seemed that Adichie would find a way out of this miserable household (this couldn’t be the whole book, could it?) so I stayed with it.

This is a character driven story. The abusive father, financially successful, religiously fanatic, politically outspoken and generous with charities cries as he delivers punishment and dominates the story. Through Kambili’s narrative you learn of his relationships with others in the nuclear family and his father and sister. Enabled by the silence of his victims, the world outside sees Eugene Achike as a model citizen.

The narrative builds to an unexpected climax and aftermath.

There is a lot here about the uncertainty of living in Nigeria. You see the contrast in the lives of the rich and the “middle class”.

It may be that this book is marketed to teens because its narrator is a teen, but the story and the writing have appeal and meaning for all ages.

This novel takes place in Nigeria during a period of government unrest. A family situation exists there that is disturbing to follow and presented very realistically. Nothing within is as it seems to outsiders. The family members are affected profoundly by day to day interactions inside the home and between the characters.
I was impressed with how well the characters were drawn. While much of the story was told or shared from the daughter's viewpoint, the other characters were portrayed very realistically as well. I felt their emotions and sympathized with their emotions.
While this book was far from what I might usually read, both in terms of setting and character study, I would recommend the novel without hesitation as a book to be read and discussed by book clubs or in a classroom. The story is deep and the interactions between characters quite profound.

Half of a Yellow Sun was the best book I'd read in a long time, so I was looking forward to reading the author's other novel. Purple Hibiscus is a good book, but it's one of those first novels that doesn't really demonstrate the author's true abilities.

This book is narrated by Kambili, a 15-year-old girl living in contemporary Nigeria. She comes from a wealthy family, and her father is widely admired for his support of the Catholic church and his fearless publication of a pro-democracy newspaper. Beneath the surface, though, he rigidly controls the lives of his family and brutally punishes them whenever they fall short of his expectations. Kambili and her brother don't think to resist until they visit their poor but loving relatives and begin to expand their horizons.

Purple Hibiscus does a good job of what it tries to do: detailing the life of its protagonist and the beginnings of change. Adichie writes well and the characters have depth (although they're not as amazing as the characters in Half of a Yellow Sun). Even the abusive father is a fully-fleshed out character rather than a generic antagonist, and the book does a great job of exploring the family's complex feelings toward him; Kambili is proud of her father, she loves him and wants his approval, and we can understand why she feels that way despite everything.

If you like immersion in characters' lives, this book has it in spades. We don't have to be told that life in Kambili's father's house is suffocating; the book walks us through every step of it. And there is so much detail about the daily lives of her aunt and cousins that I feel as if I've been their houseguest myself. To the extent that there's a lot of information about a culture I'm unfamiliar with, I enjoyed this. The downside is that at times, the massive amount of detail about chores and meals and so on seems to get in the way of the plot.... or rather, because Kambili's development depends on this slow and subtle change in her worldview, we have to read through an awful lot of mundane events to get the full picture. Either way, even while it was good, I have to admit to some impatience with the pacing.

In sum, this book isn't much like Half of a Yellow Sun (and if you haven't read that book yet, go and read it now!), but it's a decent first novel that does a good job at what it tries to do. I plan to read more from this author, but I hope her future novels will be more like her second book rather than this one.

Kimbili and her brother Jaja are privileged living in Nigeria with their Mother and Father Eugene a rich religious fanatic who is very abusive to his family. They can not do or say anything that he says is a heathens way including visiting their Grandfather who will not become a christian.. their Fathers sister Ifeoma works as a lecture at the university raising her children in low standards. Kimbili and Jaja are allowed to visit and they see a different way of living. Jaja likes how his cousins live but even with all the abuse by her Father stays loyal to him.

I tried very hard to love this story of Kambili and her brother Jaja. It started slow and never seemed to pick up pace. There were promising moments when it seemed as though the story was going into second gear, but each time it fell flat. In these moments, you could feel the tension or excitement rising (and I would get so excited about where it was taking me), but they were like lost opportunities with no follow through.

I enjoyed learning about the cultural differences from my own, but that was the best part of the story. Honestly, I was much more interested in the main character’s brother Jaja. I would have loved to have seen this story through his eyes. His character had huge personal growth throughout, but I was given no insight on his thoughts and feelings as the story was told by his quiet and subservient sister who seemed completely unchanged by the abuse, fanatical religion, poverty, and instability that was encountered.

There was so much possibility to this story, so many chances to grow the main character, and so many opportunities to save this book from being mediocre. Unfortunately, it never happened.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the second time. This reading was part of the One Maryland One Book 2017 selection. Many of the themes such as religion, domestic abuse, parenting, emotional intelligence, spirits and connection to the ancestors, colonialism and others make for interesting discussion when compared to current times. Adichie's writing connects readers with Nigeria of then and of now. It goes well with Things Fall Apart and many other books I've read over the years.
I questioned the characters being able to find their individual voice in a culture that is contrary to the old ways. As a Caribbean born African, recognizing the similarities of Jamaican culture in this novel, gives me that connection to my ancestors. It also solidifies my belief that no one should be allowed to
Adichie gives readers an African voice in the telling of their own stories. Like a purple hibiscus, Africa's children can blossom and flourish and show their own beauty, when nurtured, not trampled by outsiders.

Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus is a beautiful coming-of-age story of 15-year-old Kambili. Adichie’s beautifully crafted prose exerts so many emotions, her writing creates elegant movement across pages like no other author. This emotional, detailed account narrated by Kambili anchors the reader into her head, following her through her private life-- a privileged life dictated by her verbally and physically abusive, strict Catholic father. Kambili is shy and silent--so used to being silenced or saying manipulated thoughts to please her father, readers are trapped inside her mind as she stutters to utter words in awfully painful and awkward moments. Outside of their tumultuous home: Enugu, a city in post-colonial Nigeria, struggles with political strife, characterized by a military coup, corruption and an overthrow of government. Kambili’s father (Papa) is a prominent figure in Enugu, he owns several factories, publishes a pro-democracy newspaper, the Standard and often gives out large monetary donations to the community. Papa’s strict, unattainable, standards are dictated by Catholicism— a direct result of colonial rule in Nigeria. His abuse is a product of colonialism while he represents the “colonization of the mind.” Papa is painted as a complicated character, one who has been crippled by the effects of colonialism and the White man’s religion, allowing the readers to reluctantly understand his abusive practices. Adichie’s masterful writing allows for us as the readers to feel the tension of this household, as if we were there. Awfully gruesome and difficult to read at times due to accounts of physical violence, Adichie illustrates these painful accounts with elegant prose– as we follow Kambili in her attempt to make sense of the world around her. This world is dictated and manipulated based on how it will be perceived by her father. However, Kambili is exposed to a different world once she is relieved from her father’s household and finds refuge in her aunt’s home. As we are trapped within Kambili’s head we witness the exact “heathen” and “pagan” indigenous Igbo religions and traditions she was taught to dismiss, her questioning of values/the truth and the resulting growth Kambili exudes from this exposure.

Just like acclaimed Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe, Adichie transforms the English language with her implementation of Igbo words and traditions—giving the rest of the world a piece of a culture colonialism attempted to erase. The complexity in her characters, most notably in Papa and Kambili highlight the individual effects of colonialism, while the surrounding political strife highlights the effects on the current government system. However, despite having the novel's setting take place during government corruption and a military coup in Nigeria, Adichie's work does not focus on this single-narrative that often plagues the setting of African countries in novels. It is simply a backdrop that further advances Kimbili’s coming of age story.

Beautifully written, transformative piece that engages the reader with lush prose from start to finish!

After reading some of Chimamanda Adichie’s short stories in The Thing Around Your Neck, I knew I wanted to look into one of the novels she has written. Purple Hibiscus, while different from these modern-day short stories, brilliantly tied in larger themes through tactical imagery and connecting micro and macro level situations.

Narrated from the viewpoint of a 15 year old girl named Kambili, this novel talks about the dynamics of a wealthy family’s life just after a military leader takes power. There is a strong relationship and correlation between the growing tension in Nigerian society caused by stricter regulations being placed by the government and the deterioration of Kambili’s family, which mostly stems from the harsh control her father keeps over their family. Kambili and her brother Jaja become close to a series of family members and friends that broaden their world view and cause them to slowly rebel over time, which similarly relates to the way pro-democracy characters in the novel rebel against the authoritarian regime. I think I really enjoyed this part of the novel the most, as Kambili’s personal plot line seems to reflect larger political implications.

I also like how this novel strays away from many of the stereotypes that plague literature set in Africa. For one, the family in the novel is upper-class, and Papa’s wealth is consistently the center of attention in many scenes. While there is still some depiction of rural thatch-roofed huts and poverty, the novel shows that there is a range of different economic classes like in any other region. I also think the role of religion was very interesting, considering Papa’s malice was directly tied to his devoutness to Catholicism. Papa has a lot of expectations for his children, and really everyone in his life, about how to act in a Godly fashion, which creates tension between this “western” religion and the local traditions of his extended family. I saw that this novel very closely resembled Nervous Conditions in regards to this religious versus cultural debate, as the main male character in the novel shares a lot of them same rigidness yet commands respect from society.

Overall I thought this was an excellent novel that combines historical, religious, and individually transformative aspects all together.

Purple Hibiscus is my favorite of the three books I’ve read by Chimamanda Adichie. Set in the midst of the political tumult of post-colonial Nigeria, Purple Hibiscus is a coming of age story that refuses to be pigeon-holed. The story’s protagonist, Kambili, is almost completely removed from the political strife of her country, as she grows up in a privileged bubble provided by her wealthy father. Kambili’s father Eugene is a major fixture of his community and known to be incredibly generous, but at home that generosity is abandoned for fanatical religiosity and controlling behavior that leaves his family at the mercy of his will, down to the most minute details of their individual lives. Over the course of the novel, and through her time with her aunt Ifeoma, the veil of the world is lifted for Kambili, as she is able to see and experience a world not dominated by her father for the first time. Through her love of Father Amadi, a friend of Ifeoma’s family, and in the liberal environment of her aunt’s home, Kambili begins to open up to a less inhibited version of herself. When Kambili and her brother Jaja return to their father’s home, the environment is more tense than ever. Kambili’s mother poisons her father in retaliation for years of domestic abuse, and Jaja goes to prison in his mother’s place for the crime. Kambili’s family is broken, her father dead, her mother’s mental health deteriorated, and her brother changed by years in prison, but Kambili remains strong and steadfast. This story does not end in an idealized resolution of Kambili’s growth, it doesn’t try to teach the reader anything far reaching or broad about Nigeria or Africa or what it’s like to exist in a broken political system. This book is about a girl growing up and growing out of an incredibly difficult home situation and reaching into a world of independence, and that world just happens to be Nigeria. I highly recommend this for anyone even remotely interested. It touches on so many modern issues and makes the universality of its topics incredibly clear.

I picked up this novel at my local library's annual book sale, and it grabbed me because I enjoy reading authors from others countries and cultures. I had never heard of this author, so I did not know what to expect.

The story is told from the perspective of Kambilli, a 15 year old girl living a life of relative privilege in Nigeria. Her world is sheltered in her family's home and in her missionary school. However, while her father can be outwardly generous to those in the community, his behavior in the home is strict and unrelenting, During a period of national unrest, Kambilli and her brother go to live with her paternal aunt, and learn a different way of life, outside of her father's rigid rules and harsh judgments.

What I enjoyed about this novel was the ability to experience some of the culture of Nigeria and how the author brought her country alive for me. The characters in her novel also seemed to be full of life and, though sad at times, they really touched me. Easy to read, yet with deep meaning.

Story Description:

Knopf Canada|March 26, 2013|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-345-80752-6

Fifteen-year-old Kambili's world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home.

When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili's father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father's authority. The visit will lift the silence from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound and unexpected ways. This is a book about the promise of freedom, about the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood, between love and hatred, between the old gods and the new.

My Review:

Fifteen-year-old Kambili's home life began to fall apart when her older brother, seventeen-year-old, Jaja, didn't attend communion at church. Their father, Eugene was a devoutly religious man. He was so enraged about his son's dismissal of communion that he threw his heavy missal across the room and smashed the figurines on the table. Kambili's father was always first to receive communion and the only one of the parishioners to kneel at the altar.

Father Benedict had been the priest at their church for seven years now but because he was white, the congregation still referred to him as "our new priest." He often held up Kambili's father, Eugene as an example to other congregants due to his dedication and for speaking out for freedom. Other Sundays, Father Benedict spoke about, Eugene making the largest donations to St. Vincent de Paul and other organizations, or for paying for the cartons of communion wine and for paying for the new ovens the sisters used to bake the host. Eugene was dedicated and very rich.

Eugene questioned Jaja as to why he missed communion and Jaja said: "The wafer gives me bad breath...and the Priest keeps touching my mouth and it nauseates me." Eugene was enraged and picked up the missal and flung it across the room toward Jaja.

Eugene owned a factory that made chocolate wafers, banana wafers, various drinks and other food stuffs and was very successful. At lunch that afternoon, the family was taste-testing a new drink that tasted like cashews. Kambili's mother, Beatrice thought it tasted like wine. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and commented except Jaja. This made Kambili nervous as she wanted him to say something nice as their father had not yet punished him for missing communion. She was hoping a positive comment from him might lighten the atmosphere and make her father forget.

Beatrice announces to Kambili that she is pregnant and that the baby would be due in October. Kambili told Jaja and he told Kambili that the two of them would look after the baby and protect it. Kambili knew he meant protect the baby from their father, a hugely strict and abusive man who was easily angered and expected perfection from everyone in all that they did and encouraged order in everything.

During family time the following day, it was announced on the radio that a coup had happened. Eugene immediately left the room to call his friend, Ade Coker. He said that "coups begat coups" then told the kids about the bloody coups of the sixties, which ended up in civil war just after he left Nigeria to study in England. He said that a coup always began a vicious cycle. Eugene believed that Nigeria didn't need soldiers but a "renewed democracy."

Eugene also owned and operated a newspaper and Ade Coker was his editor. Ade had been arrested and tortured for some of his opinions he wrote in the paper. After a week, Eugene was finally able to get him out of jail. Eugene then announced to the family that beginning immediately they were going to publish underground as it was no longer safe for his staff.

A few days before Christmas, the family packed up their three cars and headed for their holiday home in Abba town. The people of the community there adored, Eugene and called him "omelora" which meant: "The One Who Does for the Community." During their vacation, Eugene's family fed the entire community and sent all the leftovers home with them as well.

For the first time in their lives, Kambili and Jaja are going away for five whole days to stay with their Aunty Ifeoma, Eugene's sister and her children. Kambili and Jaja are excited as they won't have to listen to their strict and religious father or listen to his heavy footsteps on the stairs for almost a week!

When the children returned from Aunty Ifeoma's, Eugene literally tortured them because he learned that his own father had been there as well, and Eugene considered him a heathen. He felt Kambili and Jaja had lied to him because they didn't tell him on the phone that their grandfather was there.

Although, Eugene is a religious man and very kind with his money, he is a cruel, ogre as far as I'm concerned. His cruelty toward Kambili and Jaja and Beatrice is unforgivable.

The ending totally shocked me but as sadistic as it sounds, it made me a tad happy. What am I talking about? Well, you'll have to read this wonderful story to find out.

There is so much more to this story, I couldn't put it down. Purple Hibiscus definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

I have really enjoyed reading Purple Hibiscus by Nigerian born writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. She is an admirer of her compatriot, the writer Chinua Achebe, who wrote, amongst other things, Things fall apart. This might explain why the opening words of Purple Hibiscus are: "Things started to fall apart at home..." Even if the use of these words is purely coincidental, they provide a very apt summary of what is going to happen during the following 300 pages.

The story is narrated by 15 year old Kambili. She and her brother Ja Ja are the children of Eugene, a wealthy industrialist living in the town of Enugu. Their father, who can best be described as a religious fanatic/nutcase, loves them dearly but needs them to conform to his every ambition for them. Thus, coming second in class rather than, is worse than failing completely.

The tale begins soon after there has been a coup in Nigeria. Eugene, who edits a newspaper that refuses to kowtow to anyone, employs an editor, whose critical writing attracts the fatal attention of the new regime's hit men. His death does nothing to ease the stress he always imposes on himself, and this in turn causes him to punish his children excessively to the point of causing them serious injury. At times he behaves like a Crusader, defending the faith of his own children by resorting to cruelties, which seem totally incompatible with the parental affection, which he always professes after inflicting a terrible punishment.

Aunty Ifeoma, Eugene's widowed sister, lives and teaches at a university in Nsukka. She has three children, is also Christian, but has a far more easy-going approach to religion than her brother. For example, her children are allowed to watch television when the erratic power supply allows, and are also permitted to see, to spend time with, her and Eugene's father, Papa-Nnukwu, who lives in Abba.

Eugene and Ifeoma's father is not Christian, and has no desire become one. When, early in the book, Aunty Ifeoma takes Eugene's children to see their grandfather, Kambili and Ja Ja are reluctant to get out of the car to greet him because, as Kambili explains: "... Papa-Nnukwu is a pagan." Ifeoma refutes this by saying that he is not a pagan but a "...traditionalist." Eugene, who will have nothing to do with his father apart from sending him money, is not pleased that his children have had contact with a pagan.

Against his better judgement, Eugene allows his sister to take his children to spend a few days in her home in Nsukka. On this first visit, Kambili and Jaja are like fish out of water in Ifeoma's home. Ifeoma, who is a no nonsense, larger than life, open-hearted person, lives in a crowded book-filled flat - a complete contrast to the orderly home in which Eugene and his family live. Kambili's cousins regard her and her brother as oddities, and the reverse is true. Ja Ja begins to adapt to the new environment, but Kambili, fearing her father's disapproval, fights against adapting.

Enter Father Amadi. He is a new member of the chaplaincy of the University of Nsukka, young and attractive. He dresses casually and is a frequent visitor at Aunty Ifeoma's house. When he first meets Eugene's children, and says: "Nsukka has its charms", Kambili thinks that he has: "... a singer's voice, a voice that had the same effect on my ears that Mama working Pears baby oil into my hair had on my scalp." And thus begins her infatuation with a man who has taken the vow of celibacy.

Kambili's first visit to Nsukka is brief, but is the first of many for a variety of reasons, which I will not disclose to spoil the book for those intending to read it. The more informal, even though materially more difficult, life in Nsukka provides Kambili with an increasingly more attractive contrast to the rigid, but more affluent, life that she and her brother lead in Enugu. As the political situation impinges more on Eugene's life, the environment and atmosphere in his sister's home in Nsukka becomes increasingly appealing to Kambili, as does the prospect of seeing Father Amadi.

Gently and beautifully, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche describes the downfall of the family both in Enugu and in Nsukka, drawing us gradually towards an extraordinarily tragic ending. In unfolding her story, she introduces the reader to the customs, foods, and many other aspects of Nigerian life without, as so many writers tend to do, making her narrative seem like a series of chapters of a book, which might be titled an "Introduction to Nigeria".

Read The Purple Hibiscus. You won't regret it!

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's debut novel set in Nigeria tells a simple story with a depth of details, undertones and overtones.

Purple Hibiscus is a first person account by 15 year old Kambili. Envied by her classmates and cousins for her fathers wealth and standing in the community and the church, she is thought of as snobbish, while she is actually a painfully introverted young girl.

Her father Eugene, owns a multitude of businesses and helms one of the most fearless newspapers in Nigeria where he and his editor print the news as they see it. An upstanding Catholic, he is held in high esteem for his wealth, power and religious beliefs. All of which dazzle the priests, his community and the folk of his village and blind them to the fanatical edge to his beliefs.

As the story progreses, we realise that the terror that Kambili, her brother Jaja and their mother face doesn't stem just from the perfection demanded by their father, but from the very real and frequent domestic abuse that they are all subjected to.

Brought up by Christian Missionaries, Eugene renounces his own father for holding onto his ancient beliefs, calling him a heathen and completely cutting him out of his life, only relenting to let his children visit him for a few minutes each year, after his father brings the matter to the village council.

Eugene's sister, Ifeoma is not as blinded by her brothers wealth and inspite of having a tough life as a professor and a widow with young children, she refuses to grovel for any monetary help from her brother. Instead, she tries to convince her sister-in-law to leave him for her own safety and that of the children.

There are 3 very interesting sets of beliefs and ways of life that are portrayed in Purple Hibiscus. The narrow minded, fanatical Christianity followed by Eugene who leads a privileged life, the traditionalist way of his father who does not even know where his next meal will come from and the middle path that Ifeoma works out for herself and her children while hovering on the brinks of poverty. While they are baptised Christians, they respect their father/grandfather's beliefs, while their mother is well educated and is a professor at University, salaries aren't paid on time, prices are sky rocketing and supplies are low.

One summer, realising that Kambili and Jaja know nothing of life outside their fathers strict, unforgiving, disciplinarian and fanatical way of life, Aunt Ifeoma invites just the chilkdren to stay with her family for awhile under the guise of undertaking a religious pilgrimage. And here begins their awakening. While Jaja quickly adapts and learns, Kambili's process is much slower and involves intense internal turmoil.

Adichie writes beautifully, her turn of phrase is almost poetic and immerses you straight into Nigeria. She is extremely descriptive and sensitive in her handling of the story. The reader will completely empathise with Kambili within a few pages , rejoicing at each little triumph and shedding a few tears at each set back. While the story could be set anywhere in the world and would hardly change in plot, the strength of Adichies writing is the knowledge of all things Nigerian that come through in each sentence.

The description of the food, the smells, the sights, the tastes, the customs all bring the reader closer to life in Nigeria.

A poignant read, this is not something you will read for the story line or the plot, but because the words will draw you in and take you on a magical carpet right into the heart of Nigeria.

A fascinating read with complex characters who incite a range of reactions and a main character that frustrates while admittedly endearing herself to the reader. The prose are creative without being overwritten and trying too hard to be literary. I did enjoy this book and found it compelling. It's not exactly a page turner but the type of book that you can put down, but also look forward to picking back up and reconnecting with the story when you have a few more free minutes. I would definitely recommend it and it is a book that would be good for a wide age range of readers beginning with teens.

adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writes about life in Nigeria, Africa. The author specifically writes about two Igbo families. There is Kambili and JaJa. They are brother and sister. They live a prosperous life with their parents. Their parents are Catholic. The father, Eugene, is very, very strict about his children not becoming heathens. Therefore, he doesn't allow the children to visit their grandfather or their aunt and her two children for long periods of time. This is very sad because Aunt Ifeoma longs for her son, Obiora, and her daughter, Amaka, to experience a close relationship with one another. It is sad to read about religion used for hatred rather than love. When the children don't obey their very religious father, their punishment is very severe and unbelievable.

"He lowered the kettle into the tub, tilted it toward my feet. He poured the hot water on my feet, slowly, as if he were conducting an experiment and wanted to see what would happen...The pain of contact was so pure, so scalding, I felt nothing for a second. And then I screamed."

The ending of the novel is a shock. I think the ending is also masterful. The ending proves that the faults of other people have tentacles. These tentacles can kill or severely maim those within reach. I only had one problem with the novel. Kambili meets Father Amadi. She has a heavy crush on him. He seems to have the same feelings about her. I felt the relationship between Kambili and the Father went along too smoothly. It seemed to me the aunt should have been very, very upset about the Father putting aside his vows to look lustfully at her niece. No one seems upset about the situation.

"Amaka laughed when Father Amadi asked her to come. "Don't try to be nice, Father, you know you would rather be alone with your sweetheart," she said. And Father Amadi smiled and said nothing."

Still, the relationship between the two adds flavor to the novel. As did the political situations experienced by Aunt Ifeoma and her brother. I also thought Purple Hibiscus was very rich because of the two different lifestyles of the families. Aunty Ifeoma is poor. There is an outside toilet. There are many worms crawling in the bath tub because the pipes are old and loose. There isn't always gas for the car. These conditions don't shape Aunty Ifeoma thoughts about people and life. Her hospitality is open handed. She loves to give and share what she owns with the people around her. I think this is the true spirit of Africans. The willingness to share with others no matter how hard their predicament. The Igbos remind me of the Purple Hibiscus. This flower doesn't like too much water. Neither does it like to be too dry. It likes a perfect balance. These two families were in search of that balance like any other people around the world. To find that balance doesn't come without struggle and heartache.

"It was still harmattan and the earth was thirsty, but Aunty Ifeoma said the stalks might take root and grow if they were watered regularly, that hibiscuses didn't like too much water, but they didn't like to be too dry either."

I haven't decided yet whether or not I liked Purple Hibiscus, but it made me think; and I truly enjoy thinking. Every once in while I stick with a book not because I particularly like the subject, enjoy the prose, or find the text entertaining; I stay with it because it is stretching the few brain cells that call my head home. You know what I mean?

A main theme throughout the story is domestic abuse and how these 3 survive, told through the eyes of Kambili. Her family is rich and privileged; Kambili and Jaja go to private school, the family has at least 2 vehicles and a driver, they have wait-staff, etc.

As the story unfolds, Kambili and Jaja get to go to their aunt's house for a short visit, their first unsupervised visit away from home. Of course their father sends them with modified schedules; yes, he has day-to-day schedules for everyone in his household. For the first time the kids are free to laugh, watch TV, and listen to music throughout the day. There is even singing, something their father sees as unchristian and therefore not allowed in his house. The kids start to bloom into real people in the few short visits they have at their aunt's. While much of the book was a bit tough to listen to, the book is hopeful and left me with a believe that life would turn out OK for Kambili.

This story tells the story of the maturation of a young girl who is daughter of a wealthy leader in the unstable country of Nigeria. It does a wonderful job of weaving together her challenges dealing with a cousin close to her age who resents her for her wealth and her abusive but loving father. The strength of the story is her closeness with her brother and her ability to calmly grow from her challenges. It is wonderful to see her eventually become very close to the cousin because of affection that a young priest who the cousin adores has for her. The priest helps the cousin see her differently. Another strength is the family closeness in spite of the father's abuse. Her brother gives the ultimate sacrifice for his mother. The book doesn't finish the story, but leaves you with the feeling that everything is working itself out. And no matter what happens, this family, cousins included, will always be there for each other.

I finished listening to this book yesterday. I want to sit with it in my head for a while. It is a powerful book full of universal themes that disregard borders. Told with the voice of a 15 year old girl living in a house of wealth and tones of white - the book is about calculated brutality and uncontrolled rage from a beloved parent. It is the conflict of pride and fear.

I am a fan of Adichie's work. This is the least African of her novels because it is about a family that could live any where, the setting of Nigeria truly matters in only the last chapters of the book. Then again, it is also the most African of her books. The failures, whether by the head of state or head of the family, bring growth and maturity. The family can serve as an analogy for the community and the youth of African democracy/self-rule.

The narration is fabulous by Lisette Lecat. Her reading is slow and full of emotion. She captures the shy hesitancy of our st

"Purple Hibiscus" is Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie's award winning debut novel. I read its follow up, "Half Of A Yellow Sun" when it came out two years ago, and was totally enthralled by that novel; its story, the texture of the words, and the history of Nigeria told hand in hand with the fictional characters.

"Purple Hibiscus" is in a similar mould, real life events in Nigeria (Corrupt civilian government toppled by a coup, a military leader whose wife was rumoured to have drug links, a dictator that died atop a prostitute) occur alongside a fictional narrative of a wealthy Enugu-based family of four, seemingly perfect and over-achieving to everyone on the outside, but like most families with some dark secrets.

Its lead character is Kambili who along with her brother Jaja are shown by their widowed free spirited and opinionated aunt, that there is another life besides the gloomy and tense one they know dictated by their unbending father. Sadly enough, I sense that despite it all, their father does love them all but is himself battling some demons of his own which cause him to relate to his family in the way he does. I know it is difficult to feel any empathy for him but he seems like a lost soul.

Much like "Half Of A Yellow Sun", I find the book features a weak female character (who grows stronger), an admired female character, a charismatic and unbending male character, and some family conflict. At many points in the story, I felt a sting in my eyes as loads of issues raised in the book are so true in Nigeria today, and I truly related with what Kambili and Jaja had to endure, and the inner conflict they felt. Their father, like lots of Nigerians, displayed a seeming religious fervour which does not seem to improve one's character but instead makes one look down condescendingly on those perceived as being different (the "Heathen", kin included, and even those of their own faith who sing or pray different from them), the importance of putting up a show for the public at all costs, hypocrisy, and greed. I could really relate to events and locations, seeing as I spent some time at Enugu (where Kambili's family lived) and Nsukka (where her aunt Ifeoma lived with her family). Adichie's vivid description of seemingly trivial things, like the feeling of dread and breathlessness Kambili feels when called upon for an opinion, add to the richness of the story.

This is simply an outstanding novel, and I look forward to more from Adichie's gifted pen. An acute observer of the human condition, she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

This is the story of wealthy Nigerian family with a deeply religious father who gives generously to family, the community, and other charitable causes; a loving mother; and two successful children (Kambili and her brother Jaja) who perform at the top of their classes in school. It also the story of a family wracked by domestic violence, a father with an uncontrollable temper, and two children who obey and perform through profound fear. Same family. Fifteen-year-old Kambili narrates the story as she and her brother go to visit their father's free-thinking university professor sister, and attitudes begin to change.

The story is emotionally difficult (as it should be), and it never bores (although I occasionally became frustrated with Kamibili's unrelenting shyness). Adichie - the author - effectively portrays the complex relationships between domestic abusers and their victims, the entwined fear and love and pride and anger. Adichie takes advantage of the father's adoration of the West to get in a number of clever jabs at Western culture, and she uses the university professor aunt and her children to espouse a number of messages. (The aunt experiences - for example - the capricious nature of the process of applying for an American visa; for a much better characterization of that, however, read Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss.)

I can see why this was only shortlisted for the Orange Prize whereas Adichie's more recent book, Half of a Yellow Sun, actually won the prize. Both books are emotionally effective, but Half feels more epic while it plays out on the backdrop of a major historical event (the Biafran War). Hibiscus is more of a domestic drama, although Adichie seeks to illustrate the challenges of life in Nigeria with a military coup, a significant amount of political intrigue, police oppression, and other dynamics.

One critique I had was with a subplot detailing Kambili's first love interest, a priest. The future of the relationship was ambiguous enough to create real discomfort (she is fifteen and he is an adult, after all), and the reader experiences enough discomfort from the primary family relationship to satisfy all discomfort quotas for years to come.

I listened to the unabridged audiobook narrated by Lisette Lecat (published by Recorded Books, 10 CDs). Lecat is an excellent reader as always (she also narrated the excellent Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight and The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series), but I couldn't help being bothered by the erroneous accent: Lecat is South African, and that accent is very distinct from the Nigerian accent.

Minor critiques aside, I highly recommend this fine example of modern Nigerian literature.

[Note on content: the book contains graphic (not gratuitous) domestic violence.]

I've been hearing great things about Adichie's work for so long it's hard for me to believe that it's actually taken until just now for me to finally pick up one of her books. Purple Hibiscus is my first Adichie read and it is a wonderful book, just like I've been hearing for years!

I enjoy reading multicultural fiction because it usually introduces me to world events that I know very little about, or at least cultures that I'm somewhat unfamiliar with. Purple Hibiscus is one of the few books (if not THE only book) I've read that takes place in Nigeria, and the novel definitely provided some of that cultural experience which I so appreciate in multicultural fiction. The book deals with some of the details of Nigerian government and the ways in which those who spoke against the government were treated (badly). More than that, though, this book is about Kambili - her family, her life as a teenager in Nigeria, and how she grew up over the course of the novel.

What I loved about Purple Hibiscus is that Kambili is just like any other teen stuck in a family situation that isn't the greatest. She has to deal with her oppressive, abusive father, and with her passive mother, and with navigating her way through life while trying to follow the rules her father (and her church) has set for her. And generally speaking, Kambili deals with all these aspects of her life in the same kind of way most teenagers would - she handles it okay, but internally wonders when she'll be able to have a better, less restrictive life. Also, she vacillates frequently between loving and hating her father. Since her father is such a well-respected man in the community, Kambili is incredibly proud of him, proud to be his daughter and a part of his church. Yet he is so abusive that she can't help but hate him too. I like that Adichie showed Kambili having both feelings towards her father; it was incredibly realistic. Most people who are abused still love their abuser - especially when he/she is manipulative like Kambili's father. And as Kambili started to grow up a little more, she slowly started to see her father in a new light - started to realize the bad parts of him were more of his personality than she may have previously understood. I loved reading about her transformation - not only in her feelings towards her father, but in her thoughts about her first love, her feelings on her other family members, and everything else.

Purple Hibiscus was a very good novel, I could feel Kambili as if she was a real person, and the story was paced very well. The secondary characters were interesting and complete and I felt like I got to know everyone in this book extremely well. And Adichie's writing is simply beautiful. I know I classified the book as Young Adult, but that's simply because the novel was in the YA section at my library - it could easily be enjoyed as a non-YA novel too. I absolutely recommend this book and I'm hoping to read more of Adichie's work very soon!

This is a book I was so invested in and I'm really glad it delievered exactly what I'd hoped for. I have never read African literature before but I've heard a lot about it. This book is definitely a good one to embark on to that genre. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it to the hilt. There are grey shades to the characters but I can't help but mention that they are all so well carved particularly from a first time writer, Chimamanda Adichie. There was depth and intensity to every character that was layered so beautifully, that it seemed to you that they were actually exisitng in flesh and blood.

Purple Hibiscus tells the story of a 15 year old girl, Kambili and her younger brother Jaja whose day-to-day activities are scheduled by their religiously fanatic yet loving father, Eugene. He is so Christian that at one point in the book we realise that when they visit their hometown for vacation, they are allowed to visit their ancestor worshipping grandfather, Papa Nnukwu for not more than 15 minutes. The contrast between the living standards of the really rich, which are fewer in number and the poor or middle class, which are the majority; is distinctly shown in this book. The protagonist's father, Eugene is a really wealthy businessman and a philanthropist and so it is eveident that they live in huge mansions. Even the guesthouse at their home town is a really large, impressive residence. It is during one of these visits that they encounter their cousins, children of Eugene's sister Aunty Ifeoma and Ifeoma suggests to take them home for a few days at her place in Nsukka, to which Eugene agrees.The kids are soon charmed by the place and their cousins. But unavoidable circumstances unfurl and they are send once again to spend their days with the now well acquainted cousins. Political coup, uneasiness, arrests, murders in Enugu result in Eugene and his wife beoming walking wounds in an empty mansion.

This book has you in a viselike grip showing you that whether rich or poor, those who go against the ruling parties of Nigeria shall be severely punished. It leaves you in the end with a palpable sense of ache.

The first chapter you think "uh oh." The first sentence starts "Things started to fall apart at home . . ." Then there is a broken glass étagère that gets broken by the father's church missal. She has managed to pack homages to two famous works - the Glass Menagerie and Things Fall Apart - into the first three pages. In my mind I'm thinking, this could be a terrible book. But then I was up until 3 in the morning and would have finished the book if not for the fact that I need at least five hours of sleep.

The narrator of the work is the quiet fifteen year-old girl, Kambili. She is coming of age in a distraught Nigeria that has just had another coup. (Perhaps it's the 1993 Abacha coup, but which one is meaningless.) She is pulled between her overbearing businessman father and her free-spirited professor aunt.

Kambili's father schedules the whole day for his children including prayer time and family time. He rejects his own father because the old man will not convert to Catholicism. He has the zeal of a convert, yet beats his wife.

Aunty Ifeoma on the other hand is a modern woman. While she is a Christian she accepts her father's paganism or as she calls it "traditionalism." Ifeoma also wants to pull Kambili from her shy shell and into the beautiful active woman she can be.

In a larger sense, Kambili is Nigeria, or any African gatekeeper state, torn between those who want to copy the whites and those who want to create a new way forward. The father's way is the way to get rich with money while the aunt's way is the way to get rich with family and laughter.

The question is which way should Kambili go as she grows into a woman; and, which way should Africa go as it throws off the shackles of colonialism. No more can Africans be "like footballs that are kicked which ever way [whites] want."

This was a great piece of fiction by the next great Igbo writer. If this was only Adichie's first novel, I cannot wait to read "Half of A Yellow Sun."

PURPLE HIBISCUS, one of the best books I've ever read, is outstanding. The story is beautifully written with exquisite descriptions that the bring the people, their culture, and the Nigerian cities to life. Although a coming of age story, this is not just a story for teens. The themes are complex including family dysfunction, physical and verbal abuse, political strife, and religion. Recommend for mature teens and adults.

Adichie’s coming of age tale of the young, socially isolated Kambili is not a retelling of Achebe’s classic Nigerian Novel, but it is the antithesis of Okwonko’s refusal to accept or tolerate European values. Achebe’s Okonkwo is the “tragic hero” whose sense of cultural identity leaves him unable to adapt to the colonizing power’s new ways and religion in the same way that Papa is the unyielding force unable to be tolerant of Nigerian traditional beliefs. Both men are well respected in their community. Both men rule over their family with an iron fist to ensure their household reflects the correct values and beliefs. Both men have shunned and disowned family members who refuse or reject those beliefs. Both men are equally unlikeable.

I always thought that Achebe was unable to escape his Protestant upbringing in his depiction of the missionizing of the Igbo people in <i>Things Fall Apart</i>. But Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus is much less political. She portrays the destructive nature of holding firm to a belief, any belief, and forgetting your humanity in the process. But it is, first and foremost, the story of a young girl. The story unravels slowly from the point of view of Kambili-- perhaps a little too slowly for some readers-- a small bud that slowly learns to bloom. Kambili describes her brother in terms of “rare, fragrant with the undertones of freedom…A freedom to be, to do.” But she herself is also the experimental purple hibiscus that must be carefully tended before it can blossom amidst the tyranny of her father’s rule and the political upheaval that characterizes Nigeria. Igbo words are blended seamlessly into the text and Adichie succeeds in creating a very accessible novel of a culture vastly different from that of most English speakers.

I could have done without the whole subplot of the courtship with the Catholic priest, especially considering any clear resolution at the end of the novel. The novel seemed to just end and I was still very concerned about Kambili’s place in her little world. But the book is definitely worth the read, especially for the character development and Nigerian culture. It would make an excellent companion novel if reading <i>Things Fall Apart</i>.

A beautiful book that tells the story of a young Nigerian girl named Kambili, who lives with her mother, father, and older brother Jaja. The story is told in first-person from aimbill's perspective, and through her narrations we learn about her life growing up in Nigeria, her relationships with her friends, and her life at home with her father, Eugene, who is abusive. From yelling at her brother for not attending communion to getting frustrated with Kambili for not being the top student in her class, Eugene clearly holds the dominant position in the family and very frequently lets it show through his harsh tone towards his children when he's upset. Later on, we get to see the relationship Kambili has with her extended family, when she and her brother go to live with their aunt, uncle and cousins due to their father's treatment of them. The relationship between Kambili and her cousin Amaka is most significant, because of the fact that Kambili and her family live in a home with a maid, making them seem more upper-class to Amaka, which in turn makes Amaka think that Kambili thinks she is better than she is because of her family's money.

Having never read any works of Adichie's before, I was personally a big fan of this book. d it. One of the things that stuck out to me the most was the way Adichie wrote the book. It was beautifully written from Kambili's perspective, and as I was reading I felt like I was able to get inside Kambili's head and see what she was thinking and feeling throughout the book, and how she handled any situation she was faced with. Although many of the chapters were incredibly long, I was deeply engrossed in each one of them because of the captivating storyline and the way it was narrated. The bond that Kambili forms with her church's pastor, Father Amadi, is something that stuck out to me the most throughout the story. Although Kambili and Father Amadi only meet through Aunty Ifeoma (Kambili's aunt) around the middle of the story, the bond between them quickly forms and he becomes an immediate friend for Kambili.It is made clear throughout the story that Kambili does not have any real connections with anyone in her family, so Father Amadi becomes that person she feels as she can go to for anything. Although she begins to worry that maybe she is developing feelings for him and is also teased by her cousin Amaka, Kambili holds on to the friendship she has with Father Amadi through the whole story.

Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone! Reading this book has definitely made me want to read more of Adichie's works, because of the beautiful pictures she paints through her narrations and descriptions of every character.

This book was very slow to start. I honestly kept ready because of who the author is. I like the way she develops her characters but at times it felt more a book of descriptive places of Nigeria than a story to tell. I both appreciate the vivid description of everything and at the same time felt she spent more time doing that than developing the story line. It did feel a little rush at the end. How she managed to talk about violence without actually referring to it made it easier to read but could anger one at the same time. The ending wasn't powerful but rather left a door open in case she wanted to continue writing about this family. Even with three stars my curiosity is peaked where I would read a sequel to this book. (Not sure if she one or not out yet).

Purple Hibiscus, is a wonderful piece of literary fiction. It is a coming of age story, a story of domestic violence, and a look at freedom. The characters are well-developed.

Fifteen year old Kambili, lives a life of privilege in with her parents, and her brother Jaja in Nigeria. The father, Eugene is a wealthy businessman, a religious fanatic, and a strict disciplinarian. His family is the recipient of his cruel and unusual forms of punishment. The book opens on Palm Sunday, with the father, Eugene, throwing a prayer book across the room, trying to hit his son for his refusal to taken communion at mass earlier in the day. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Later in the story Kambili and Jaja spend some time away from home at their Aunty Ifeoma's home. At this home there is laughter, love, few rules and much freedom. Later, the mother also spends some time there, and soon they begin to question the strict rules Eugene makes them adhere to. What follows changes their lives forever.

This book was an amazing debut novel. I had both the written version and the audio version (the reader was excellent). It was not necessary to have the written copy to enjoy this book however, I was curious about some of the names and phrases so the written form was helpful. I definitely plan to read more by this author.

Kambili Achike, the heroine of Purple Hibiscus dwells with her brother, Jaja and their mother, Beatrice, in an opulent but abusive environment dominated by their tyrannical father, Eugene Achike. Eugene, an influential business tycoon, is a catholic fanatic and a tyrant whose benevolence to outsiders completely masks his cruelty to family members. He neglects his aged father for retaining his traditional beliefs, b and suffocates his wife and two children with regular beatings and ideologies that stunt their growth psychologically. Their mom loses her pregnancies from these physical abuse, Jaja ends up with a deformed finger for not placing first in his catechism class while Kambili's growth is stunted psychologically and she is mistakenly labelled in school, a backyard snob.

All that change when the kids vacation at their aunt's, Ifeoma, in Nsukka. The environment is a contrast to their home: Loving, free spirited but devoid of their wealth they are accustomed to. As they heal from their father's abuse in this nurturing atmosphere, they return home with their new found freedom and rebel against him. Jaja deliberately misses Holy Communion, to their dad's anger and consternation, Kambili refuses to part with the painting of their grandfather and finally, their mother commits a heinous crime to free them from the constant abuse. Adichie touches on the secrecy of domestic abuse and their rebellion to enact changes in their lives. Amaka, rebels against the Catholic Church by refusing to adopt an English name to validate her confirmation, Eugene, battles the government with his newspaper, Kambili, challenges her cousin during a confrontation over food preparation while her long suffering mom, Beatrice, permanently puts an end to her husband's abuse careening the family into disarray.

Interesting and deep novel.

Adiche's "Purple Hibiscus" is a beautiful, startling story told through the heart and soul of a 15-year-old Nigerian girl, Kambili, coming of age in a turbulent and corrupt environment amidst a family entwined with both love and violence. Kambili's father, Eugene, is one of the most revered dignitaries of his community, working against corruption and liberally giving large amounts of money and goods to those less fortunate. Yet, at home, he rules with an obsessed and fanatical religious set of unyielding rules, severely beating his wife and children maliciously when he feels that they have not been completely Catholic or when showing what he perceives as heathen-like behavior. I found myself both compelled and horrified by this book, by the growing awareness and intelligence of young Kambili and her almost innocent unbelieving denial and fear at the monstrosities of her over-powering father whom she irresistibly loves and even adores, while also shrinking and wishing to slip far away from her life with him. I loved the young priest, Father Amadi, who believed in and inspired the youths. He had a vision beyond impoverishment and seeming limitations to innate talents and hopeful possibilities. I admired Aunt Ifeoma, who taught at a university and was open and liberal with a large capacity to feel, think and love deeply; abundant with a hearty laugh, quick wit and confidence, speaking and acting in favor of justice and truth. I liked the growing independence of Kabili's 17-year-old brother, Jaja, who openly questioned and rebelled against his father, if only in subtle and occasional outbursts. I cringed at the viciousness against Kambili and Jaja, as well as the mother, Beatrice, who had multiple blackened, swollen eyes, broken ribs and at least 2 pregnancies beaten out of her by her often savage husband. At one point, Kambili is brutally kicked and crippled near death after her father finds her with a picture of his "heathen" father who had recently died without his son's respect and love. I ached for Kambili and the others, even as they found release and new freedom after the death of the cruel and overpowering Eugene and a 3-year prison sentence of Jaja after he "confessed" to poisoning his father to death when realizing that his mother had actually done so. Very unsettling; yet very worthwhile in laying bare the harshness and dangers of over-zealous religious fundamentalism and the complexity and incongruencies in human nature where enormous good and generosity can run closely parallel with depravity and inhumanity.

I only just finished reading the book at 2 a.m this morning and the first description that came to mind as I turned the final page was that it was written extremely gracefully.

Some reviewers have decribed it as a coming of age story. Yes, it is that and more...so much more. There are several themes running through it and in the hands of another writer it might have seemed contrived but in the hands of this writer, not one word or situation rings false. She deftly weaves together all these varied themes to create her story. All of her characters have great depth and we come away feeling like we know them personally. Something else I liked was the fact that her charcters weren't one dimensional, neither good nor bad. They were just people struggling with their own personal demons and everyday life, people like you and me.

I'm Nigerian and did live a great part of my life there and some of the characters, places and situation did bring back strong, vivid memories. I did visit with my aunt in Enugu and the conditions of living with her and her family were somewhat reminiscent of the same conditions of living with Kambili's Aunty Ifeoma. And that's asides from the other characters in the book. I know some of them or more specifically I recognize bits of some of the people I know in some of them. I know some of those situations. I know Mama Joe, I knew several Sisis, I see a bit of my grandfather with his rigid Catholiscism in Eugene but there the similarity stops.

Our teenage protagonist is one that stays with you for a long time. She will haunt you long after you've put the book down. Her perceptiveness is uncanny and her ability to absorb and interprete life and events sends tingles down your spine. what touches me most is all the things she wishes she could have said and didnt or couldnt.

The book has its flaws but there are too many high points to notice them. I have read some of Ms. Adichie's essays and I do believe she is one to watch. No, let me rephrase that she is here to stay and I'm very proud of her.

I really liked this novel, the prose was well written and engaging. I found the choice of subject matter compelling and the diversity between two family members with very different views was illustrative of what occurs very often when colonial influences separate the traditional and exchange it for thier vision. We have a man that has so much unrest in the world that he puts up a false front in an effort to keep up appearances in the community and as a result he has managed to terrorize the people that are closest to him and need for him to be the most rational. He managed to push his father away, and had some contempt for his sisters, more because they would not really tow his line, yet instead chose to lead thier lives fruitfully. In the end as life was becoming more difficult, and the same issues continued to resurface, and his world was very small despite his contact with many, many people. It just came to an end as the people that he was supposed to protect and cherish were the people that were instrumental in changing his life.

Purple Hibiscus is a strong coming-of-age novel set in Nigeria and narrated by fifteen-year-old Kambili, a young girl beset by family turmoil/violence inside the home and political turmoil/violence outside.

Kambili's father is a "big man"-owner of factories, publisher of a staunchly independent newspaper, philanthropist, and a pillar of the local Catholic faith, financial and otherwise. Inside the home, however, he is a rigidly religious tyrant who uses violence to keep his family in line, regularly beating Kambili, her mother, and her older brother. This cycle of internal violence, outward philanthropy is disrupted by two events--the political coup that causes all sort of social/economic disruption and creates an effective background of constant menace and tension, and a trip by Kambili and her brother to a widowed aunt's home, where she sees what a "regular" family looks like. As the book progresses, tension and violence increase on each front. Kambili's father's newspaper becomes a target of political intimidation and serious violence as it stands up against the new government. Meanwhile, Kambili's father himself turns more and more violent as his sister's influence begins to cause cracks of disobedience to appear in his family.

The voicing by Kambili is wonderfully done, made up of quiet observations detailing her fears and doubts. Is this how people talk, she wonders? How do they find the courage? The words? But her words carry the novel through the scenes of domestic violence, of political turmoil, of a young girl's first crush (on a young priest she meets while at her aunt's), of a young boy's first few steps into defiance and adulthood (her brother Jaja), of a clash of cultures and religions, of death.

While Kambili and her narration are the strong part of the novel, the other characters more than carry their weight. Each of them, with the possible exception of the mother, is sharply drawn and full of life. Her aunt, her cousin, the priest, her grandfather-all of them are full characters as opposed to simple role players meant to move plot along. This especially includes her father, who could have been simply (and simplistically) portrayed as a monster. He is, but he is also much more. He shows true courage in his willingness to take on the government. He shows true compassion in his willingness to spend his money on those less fortunate. He is a man of faith. And yet. He is ruthless in his authoritarianism with regard to his family, refusing to see his father or to let his grandchildren spend more than fifteen minutes a few times a year with him. And his violence is truly shocking. Parts of this book are difficult to read, though the author never lingers for long, never exploits the violence for cheap emotional effect. What makes it even more chilling is how coolly rational the father is when he turns violent. These are not sudden emotional outbursts of an ignorant man but the rationalized discipline of an intelligent man who truly thinks he is doing what he must for the sake of his family (which of course can be read in a broader, more allegorical sense).

The book marches toward its end and if it is often dark, the darkness is leavened by some humor, some warmth, and the small steps Kambili and her brother take toward maturation and toward breaking the chains of their home. The end, as one would expect, is not a simple, "they all lived happily ever after" ending. But it is also not totally dark, or even mostly dark. It is, however, realistic.

Finally, while the book focuses on the internal more than the external, Hibiscus has a wonderfully vivid sense of place, conveyed not in long sweeping passages of description but in the small tiny details of day to day life and interaction--the food being cut, the scents in the air, the logistical obstacles involved in taking a drive, etc. Nigeria is communicated rather than described.

An excellent debut novel, strongly recommended.

"Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the étagère." This first sentence sets out all the main elements of this debut novel.
Narrator Kambili, 15, and her older brother, Jaja, live a life of privilege in Enugu, Nigeria. Their father, Eugene, is not only a wealthy industrialist, and devout Catholic, but also publisher of an outspoken newspaper, critical of the repressive regime.
But the glittering exterior hides a rotten core. Eugene, a religious fanatic and Anglophile who despises the old ways to the extent of repudiating his traditionalist father, indulges a sadistic abusiveness when his family fails to live up to his impossible standards. He is always sorry, afterwards, for what they made him do.
Then her aunt and cousins visit. "Every time Aunty Ifeoma spoke to Papa, my heart stopped, then started again in a hurry. It was the flippant tone; she did not seem to recognize that he was different, special. I wanted to reach out and press her lips shut and get some of that shiny bronze lipstick on my fingers."
And when Eugene is persuaded (against his better judgment) to let the children visit his sister, a new world opens to them. This is no surprise, but Adichie's portrayal of the awakening - amidst a time of political turmoil and fear - is halting and fraught with danger.
Replete with beauty and horror, Adichie's novel of self-hatred, fear, and family, with its political/allegorical overtones, is a moving, sometimes breathtaking, debut.

Disclaimer- IF YOU HAVE A HARD TIME WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THIS IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU.
From the perspective of a young adult that has dealt with some rough things this novel IS Good for a new cultural perspective and if this is your type of free time read then read it. But sadly for me this is the type of book i would not read again. the book jumps from the present to the past and then essentially traveled through time to show the reader how the problems that were shown to you in the beginning of the novel came to be. The characters were developed enough so that they are believable which is a good thing.
This novel opened my eyes so that instead of seeing one story of Africans I saw many all therough the eyes of a 15 year old girl. Please do read it If you are interested.

A journalist from the Times in London remarks that this is the best debut novel he has read since Arundhati Roy's 'The God of Small Things'. Indeed, this is a remarkable first novel by a 26 year author. Writing from the heart and no doubt using her experiences growing up in Nigeria, Adichie has produced a book that makes you intimately share every experience of Kambili, the narrator. You are enraged at the abuse she suffers from her father, a zealot who loves his children in his own twisted way while disowning his father for not converting to Catholicism. You feel the pangs of a first, forbidden love with her. You share her very existence as a girl who is perceived to be so rich and fortunate- but who cannot even linger to talk to friends at school or watch television or listen to pop music.
This is a beautiful novel. The characters are complex and thought-provoking. I could not figure out the father character, how he seems to genuinely love his wife and kids and even suffer along as he inflicts terrible pain and torture on them. In contrast are his sister, Aunty Ifeoma, and her lively kids who may want for material things but whose spirits soar. In the background is the turmoil of Nigeria- the corruption, the politics, the shortage of fuel, the power cuts, the unrest.
When I reached the end of the book, I found myself hoping for a sequel. What happens next to Kambili, Jaja and Aunty Ifeoma's family? Someone said that you know a book is good when you reach the end and feel you have lost a friend. I felt a bit like that on the last page. Highly recommended.

Adichie's novel is a wonderful read. It is poetic and sparing and yet deals with important issues and fascinating ideas. It discusses religion and concepts of good and evil. Though Kambili's father is violent and brutal, he is also loving and generous towards his community. It explores ideas of colonialism and how the Western world views Africa and their other colonies. One of the most memorable statements made by Kambili was when the sister/ mother in school failed to understand why they did up their houses in the suburbs like palaces when they only spent a week or 2 in it a year. Kambili's response was that there is no need to find the reason for everything, to seek to understand, as that's just the way things are done. Oftentimes when cultures come together there is always a desire to unravel to seek to explain when really, there should just be mutual acceptance. The book was also very well written when exploring the growth of Kambili into a young woman as well as how she starts to speak, smile and even laugh. Jaja is also a fascinating character in the way he progresses and changes through the influence of his aunt Ifeoma and the exposure to a world outside of his father's rules. Other well developed characters are Father Amadi and aunt Ifeoma, so that it feels like you're watching real people on a screen rather than just reading about them in a book. A wonderful, moving study of beliefs, world views, religion, love, relationships and good evil, Adichie's novel paints a colourful Africa full of life, pride and passion as well as a gift of renewing itself.

The story evolves around a Nigerian family - narrated through the voice of 16 year old Kambili Achike. The voice is lucid, and we get insight into corrupt governments and their politics. Kambili's father is extremely religious, and is too conscious of his patriarchal role in the household...he often abuses his wife and children in the name of God. Papa will not hesitate to flog his wife or his children when he feels that they have sinned. This family is a microcosm of Nigeria in many ways. According to Adichie, the are so many churches being formed at every corner in Lagos, and yet Nigeria remains one of the most corrupt countries. Kambili and her brother Jaja are prisoners in their own home, until they take a visit to Nsukka, where Aunty Ifeoma lives. Kambili falls in love with Father Amadi, a young Catholic priest who also helps to morph her into a free spirit.

The story is all too real. I know people in life who are carbon copies of the characters in the book. "Purple Hibiscus" reminds one of how Africa - with its dozens of countries and hundreds of languages - faces similar ills, and shares many cultural aspects. Yes, this novel is also a celebration of Igbo culture - - its cuisine and language. Adichie uses a sizable Igbo vocabulary, but does it very effectively without saturating the novel.

The story is very life-like and there are many lessons to draw from. It highlights family life and generational conflicts in Nigeria. It is an amazing debut, I am eagerly awaiting her next work!

I actually had to read this book for my summer reading and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I previously read "The Thing Around Your Neck" by Chimamanda Adichie, and I enjoyed that book very much. I wasn't as open-minded to reading this book because a lot of novels by Adichie, kind of starts off as boring. The protagonist's of the novel is a young girl named Kambili, and I instantly connected with her. Kambili perspective on life often changes through the novel. The novel takes place in Aftica.
Kambili has a brother named Ja Ja. Kambili and Ja Ja experience a vey lavish but yet abusive lifestyle at the beginning of the novel, then experience a lifestyle of freedom and truth. Adichie portrays these characters and there perspective on life at the beginning of the novel to the end, in a very comprehensive manner. The novel itself isn't very difficult to cope with. The novel is very straight-forward and understanding, but you have to be willing to be open-minded. Adichie is a really good author and I enjoyed this book very much. I'm looking forward to reading more novels by her in the future.

I found this an extraordinarily gripping novel. It is set in the Igbo area of Nigeria, and the story is told by Kambili, 15 years old for most of it, who, with her 17 year old brother Jaja grows up in a Catholic family utterly in the thrall of their father Eugene, a prosperous factory owner who maintains a large clientele with hand-outs of money. In a note about the novel, the author writes that she had wanted to portray him as `a man who did horrible things but who, ultimately, wasn't a monster.' Personally, I can see very little to redeem him: he is a terrifying monster, a fanatical convert to Catholicism who is driven to paroxysms of physical cruelty whenever he feels crossed and during which he inflicts the most grievous bodily harm on his wife and on his children. The children suffer when they fail to come first in school, but especially whenever they fall short in the slightest respect of his extreme religious demands. True, he weeps and hugs them afterwards, claiming that he had done it only to save their souls, but since he assaults his wife without any such excuse, he is simply a pathologically violent character. Kambili grows up a frightened and timid girl, dreading her father but at the same time longing for his love and approval. Jaja is more defiant, and the development of his character is also among the book's superb qualities.

He refuses any contact with his own father, Papa-Nngukwu, who had not converted to Catholicism, and he never allows him into his palatial house in Enugu. Papa-Nngukwu, serene in his own beliefs, lives in great but dignified poverty in the nearby town of Nsukka, not far from his daughter Ifeoma, who has an ill-paid job at the university there and three children of her own. Eugene allows his children to meet their grandfather for exactly a quarter of an hour once a year, and he is reluctant to allow his children to visit their aunt, considering her not a good enough Catholic because she remains fond her `heathen' father; and he is enraged if during such visits his children meet their grandfather. Ifeoma is a wonderful strong woman, and the children love their visits to her, to her relaxed household in her run-down home, and they come to love their grandfather also. After Eugene had carried out a near-fatal assault on Kambili, his children are effectively taken into Ifeomo's care.

Throughout the novel there has also been a political background. A military coup has just taken place (presumably the coup of 1985). Paradoxically the autocratic Eugene owns a newspaper which supports democracy against the military dictatorship, and Ifeoma, too, is an outspoken critic of the new regime. They are therefore both in danger from the brutal soldiery.

I must not reveal the end of the story; but it is as powerful as the rest of the book. The whole book is suffused with the atmosphere of Nigeria, its customs, its weather, its plants and its food stuffs, its clothes, and even its language. A glossary at the end of the Igbo words used would have been helpful, but we can guess the meaning of many of the expressions.

This is a wonderful book by a native author. Tale spun with realism and empathy. Told in the voice of a young privileged girl in Nigeria, a girl who follows without question the teachings of her Catholic father, who enforces his messages with physical abuse. You live through her longings, her doubts and yet her unfailing belief. A trip with her brother to visit her aunt brings her an understanding of a different, more empowering way of life. She learns now to laugh for the first time of her life, and yes, she even finds love. Traveling with her brings out your own doubts (especially if you were raised Catholic), but also helps you find your own center. The events that buffet this young girl bring doubt, excitement and finally a sense of certainly to her life. You'll love the trip.

I enjoyed the book but felt that the ending was rushed. A lot of time was spent laying out how protected (really abused the children/mother were) but there were few details of life after the father's demise. I wanted more on that front. There were no dates given which left me feeling a bit adrift, time line wise.

In Purple Hibiscus, we listen to the plaintive voice of Kambili, whose skill at language does not extend to the spoken word, as those necessary words remain trapped in her throat, a girl who knows her place and keeps her silence. In Kambili's family, there are too many things "we never talk about". Growing up in the political upheaval of Nigeria, Kambili and her older brother, Jaja, are poster children for domestic violence, quiet, well-mannered, high achievers that their father points to with pride, "his" children: extensions of himself in the world. A generous man, beloved in their village, only Eugene Achike's nuclear family suffers his rages behind closed doors.
Jaja's emotions are closer to the surface, more accessible to his spirit of rebellion. But Kambili is her mother's daughter, cautious, constrained and eager to please. Her slow awakening is all the more significant because of the tremendous act of will necessary to break free of her conditioning. This experience is agonizing for Kambili, like the prickling of a limb that has fallen asleep. Her adolescent physical and emotional flowering enhanced by newly found self-expression and self-awareness, Kambili is a product of a world that leaves children unprotected, at the mercy of a merciless man. She is the observer, the reporter, emotionless as she describes the constant abuse. Like a sieve, Kambili filters every action, sorting, learning.
Eugene passes on the lessons he has learned in his own childhood, taught by brutal Catholic missionaries who used temporal punishment; the abused is the abuser. Rigid religious instruction, intolerant and unforgiving, is the tool with which this man terrorizes his wife and children. His wife is trapped by her husband's frequent beatings, but the children glean a different way of life in the home of their Aunty Ifeoma. A widow with three children, Aunty Ifeoma exists in borderline poverty, but teaches her children without dehumanizing them. Exposure to this loving family opens Kambili's heart, planting the seed of hope and the promise of a future that offers more than pain and self-discipline.
This powerful, yet subtle novel is striking on two levels: one is the subjection of society to the tyranny of the chaos that results from a political coup; the second is the role of family in the formation of children's lives, contrasting a monstrous discipline with the guidance of loving relatives. The political unrest and subsequent difficulties of daily survival are the canvas against which the author defines her young characters, especially significant because of the helplessness of a population ruled by intimidation.
In this exotic African setting, the author shares cultural differences, rituals and beliefs. She does so with great skill, describing luxury and poverty alike, the discrepancies of an unequal society. Adichie knows the language of the abused child and speaks simply, directly to her audience. Her native land is Nigeria, but this dialect is universal. She understands that to be heard, one must speak softly. Adichie garners an audience of survivors who respond to personal empowerment, wrapped in hope. Luan Gaines/2004.

Those who know Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from her short stories have high expectations of her. "Purple Hibiscus" lives up to expectations.
"Purple Hibiscus" is a coming-of-age story set in Nigeria during the Abacha military regime of the mid-1990s, told through the eyes of 15-year-old Kambili Achike. Kambili's father Eugene, a wealthy Igbo businessman and newspaper publisher, is in many ways a heroic figure; he is a pillar of the church, loyal and generous to his employees and home village and one of the few publishers with the courage to stand up to the military government. The same fanatic religious faith that feeds his stern public morality, however, leads him to ostracize his father and physically abuse his wife and children.
Kambili, who has lived under her father's hand throughout her life, is a shadow of a person as the novel begins. As the story progresses, she learns independence and self-reliance from her university-professor aunt Ifeoma, her teenage cousin Amaka and the iconoclastic priest Father Amadi. At the same time, the deterioration of the country and her father's increasingly abusive behavior drive the family closer to collapse.
"Purple Hibiscus" is a powerful and sophisticated first novel, and comparison between Adichie and Igbo literary giant Chinua Achebe is not out of place. Achebe's novels, though, tend toward the epic, using their characters to tell the story of their country. Adichie has also spoken in this voice, in short stories such as "Half of a Yellow Sun," but "Purple Hibiscus" is a more intimate portrait. Politics sometimes intrudes through scenes of student riots and the persecution of one of Eugene's editors, but most of the political events happen offstage and are seen through their effect on the family. For all the powerful sense of place in "Purple Hibiscus," Kambili's story is one that could happen anywhere.

I picked up this book about a month after discussing Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart" with my book club. I had no idea that this book had deep roots in Achebe's great work, and was thrilled to discover the many connecting threads. While Achebe's work focuses primarily on one man, and offers a very male look at society, Adichie weaves a tale through the eyes of a shy teenage girl, Kambili, offering a complementary perspective. The book still revolves around a powerful man, who in some ways is similar to Achebe's main character, but who, instead of fighting for what he perceives to be "traditional ways", fights wiith equal passion and blindness on the side of the most domineering of the white missionaries. The men in both books try desperately not to be like their fathers. 'Purple Hibiscus' follows the progression of young Kambili, who has almost no identity or passion apart from her father, to a growing awareness about faith, tradition, family ties, and her own voice and beauty. I appreciated how the story gave examples of many different forms of belief in God, not pigeonholing believers or setting single stereotypes about missionaries. Adichie's book is complex, and invites a second read, after the first gripping, page-turning session.

I would recommend this book to book clubs, after reading Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart". While reading Achebe's book, I found very helpful a commentary edited by Isidore Okpewho called "Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart': A Casebook'". The essays and interviews in this book opened up the first novel for me and prepared me for many of the allusions in "Purple Hibiscus".

Purple Hibiscus is a novel from the perspective of a teenager named Kambili growing up in post-colonial Nigeria. After a while of reading this book, I started to predict the timeline; I can only recall three things that I didn't see coming. I expected to learn more about the African continent and specifically the Nigerian culture. Even though Christianity plays a big role of the Nigerian culture, I felt that religion was the only theme through out the book. I am personally more interested in the other aspects of different cultures like: artwork, music, traditions, and especially what makes that culture unique. If the author went more into depth about other things besides religion, I may have been more drawn to the book. However, I would recommend this book to teens or young adults who grew up in a heavily Christian house hold because they can connect better with the book and see that if Kambili can blossom, they can do it too.

Two thumbs up for this story told from an African perspective. Kambili the shy young Nigerian girl, and her brother, Jaja, are from a well-to do family that includes their submissive mother, Beatrice and tyrant father, Eugene. Eugene, a staunch Catholic, rules with a heavy hand and his family is slow to disappoint him. While on a visit to their Aunt and cousins, Kambili and Jaja get to see life the way the other half lives and these experiences transform Kambili and Jaja from sheltered "rich kids" into young adults with voices and minds of their own. There are so many other layers to this story, though - religion, politics, wealth/middle class, young love, abuse. This was quite a find for me and a very enjoyable read. A solid four star! I look forward to reading more work from this author.

I loved this book. I think Adichie is a wonderful writer and makes Nigeria come alive. Some of my friends have difficulties reading African writers because they write in a different way than American writers, but I think Adichie does a good job of infusing both. I read this book because I love African novels. I think many African writers are able to tell (a somewhat fictionalized) a better social history of Africa's near past that most academic books. If you are interested in learning about Africa and particularly about the struggle between tribal beliefs and the adoption of Christianity in Nigeria I think this is a great book. It also gives you a glimpse of Nigerian politics and corruption that is very interesting.

Admittedly, I wanted to read Purple Hibiscus because I have thought a lot lately about Africa--its role in creation, its role on the globe, and what that means in a post-colonial, post-African slave trade world. I have to check myself in my thinking because I don't want to approach it with an American perspective. It don't want to posit, "if only they were capitalists and democratic", because at the end of the day we are all sinners in God's eyes. And I don't think He gives a hoot about our American ideals. So, I have to come at from a creation standpoint--that He loves us, created us, and allows us to live in this broken, fallen, and suffering world where things like Rwandan and Sudanese genocide happen. Just because I sit in the comfort and luxury of my own culture does not excuse my response as a Christian.
Halfway through reading the book I realized that I wanted to teach it, my reasons numerous. It is a modern story, a wonderfully crafted novel, the language is accessible, and the story revolves around abuse, drama, and societal upheaval. In other words, there's enough drama to keep my students' attention. Reading it with my teacher eye (which I will need to do again) changed my perspective.
One could say that from a Westerner's perspective PH explains away the problems of third world countries. That it is just another post-colonial novel. But I think that explanation is too simplistic and misses the mark. There is no superficial judgment present in this book. There are no easy solutions to the problems presented. Characters are drawn (born into) into a circle from which they cannot escape. It exudes with a feel of heaviness, that there is no hope, making Nogozidis's story powerful and subtle. And it's the subtlety that moved me the most. Nogozidi deftly weaves together the core of the novel: a subjection of society to the tyranny of the chaos resulting from political coup. This same theme is mirrored by Kambili's home life . She and her family are helplessly ruled by their father's intimidation which was a result of colonial Catholicism, just as their government is helplessly tyrannical in the fusing of post-colonialism with national leadership.
From a Westerner's perspective it's so easy to explain away governmental tyranny, to feel that we don't have those problems. But from a Christ-centered perspective I don't have that luxury.
The only possible solution is destruction, or deconstruction, but without an identity either national or self, those options are limited and unavailable.

Purple Hibiscus is a vivid, beautifully written novel about a 14 year-old girl named Kambili growing up in a stifling Catholic household in Nigeria. The story pairs the collapse of the family's strong patriarch who frequently physically abuses his family alongside with the deterioration of the Nigerian society's infrastructure as it undergoes a military coup. Kambili is a very sheltered child who is incredibly insecure because of the repressive regimen her father forces her to follow. Yet, she is looked down upon by her peers and initially scorned by her outspoken cousin because she is viewed as a privileged snob. When she visits her aunt and cousins she learns how to assert herself and become a more independent individual.

Adichie presents you with a portrait of domestic violence very much from the inside. We see the father through Kambili's eyes as a pillar of the community and someone she genuinely loves. Therefore the abuse he administers is seen only as a gesture of love for her own good. It's only when Kambili is pulled out of this horrific environment that she is able to see how wrong it is and understand that this abuse is not normal. While this novel really involves you in the struggles of its characters, it also shows you a lot about the complex political and religious struggles occurring in Nigeria. It's one of those wonderful stories that can broaden your perspective while being incredibly emotionally engaging. This is an amazing first novel from such a young writer and I hope she will continue to write many more books with as much heart and soul as Purple Hibiscus.

This novel really moved me. The author understands and describes the complicated emotions involved in an abusive relationship. Also, she brings to life the strength of love and laughter in the face of injustice. If this book doesn't change you, read it again.

I really liked this novel. I've lately been intrigued by religious zealots, and how people can be brainwashed in cults, and this had that vibe to it. So it was interesting to me to see how children raised in a certain environment develop when they are only aware of one way of life. But how just one week of living a different way had such an impact on the outcomes of their lives.

Adichie uses no hype or emotional manipulation to walk us through a difficult family situation. Her writing is powerful and spare, gentle and clear. She leads the reader into the story but doesn’t point to a simple way out. Because there isn’t one, not in real life.

Purple Hibiscus, like Chimamanda Adiche's other works, is a stunning achievement which transcends the boundaries of what many consider African literature but still manages to maintain its African heritage. There is no pandering to outside influences telling Adiche what she can and cannot write about as an African writer in this novel. It gives a brutally honest telling of not just Nigerian life but all life. The main character Kambili's struggles with her father's oppressive smothering and control of every aspect of her life reveals insights and emotions which apply across the spectrum, regardless of where you may come from. It would be a disservice to the accomplishments of this novel to say anything about it is uniquely African, because everything about this novel is uniquely human. Yes, there are values related in the story, aspects of the setting, and conflicts in the novel which pay full credit to their origin, but Adiche manages to weave these details into a story about the inner turmoil we all face when presented with realities which derail our preconceived notions.

Kambili and her brother Jaja are thrown into a completely different world from the one they know, the world of rigid schedules, a strangling desire to please their pious yet abusive father, and a single inflexible perspective on life that relegates anyone who dares to oppose it as hopelessly inferior. Upon spending a week with their easy going, poorer but happier cousins, the nontraditional household shakes the foundations of their worlds to the core, stirring a rebelliousness in Jaja as much against the monocultural domination of his father as it is against his abusiveness. Kambili struggles to break the shakles of her upbringing, however, and is vied with as much misperception and scorn by her same aged cousin Amaka as her father views his own traditionalist grandfather.

This novel is very much based in the idea of deconstructing the single-story which Adiche has lectured about famously in her TED-talk. It is about Kambili deconstructing the view that her father has forced into her that his way is the only way, that heathens should be prayed for but not interacted with, that to be worthy as a human being means being the best in class, and that a father's love is best felt through the absence of a beating. It is about Amaka deconstructing her notions of Nigeria's rich as haughty, exploitative, and hedonistic. And it is also about us as readers, and even more as people, deconstructing the view that African's are either the barbarians of Conrad, the uncivilized tribes of our history classes, or the helpless victims of movies and news media. Adiche's writing, beyond the elegant descriptions or poignant contextual backdrops, is worth reading most of all for the way she captures our most personally challenging emotions, thoughts, an conflicts through characters we are not used to relating to, and forces us to drop our preconceptions and connect with them on a beautifully human level.

I would highly recommend this novel and all of Adiche's other works, particularly The Thing Around Your Neck. I would also urge anyone who has not to watch her TED-Talk, which was genuinely enlightening as well as entertaining. Adiche's works are the prime example of contemporary literature being able to positively influence not just our understanding of a particular topic, but the way in which we view and interact with the rest of the world.

I found Purple Hibiscus to be a good read, however it is not a light read.
Purple Hibiscus will generate a lively discussion with book club members or a circle
of friends dissecting the complexity of characters and the unthinkable way of life some
had to endure. The book is very well written.

I know I'm being unfair when I say it should have made the short list since I have not had the opportunity to read many that did so -- they are not available in the US. I chose this book since it had made the long list and was one of the few available here from that list. As revealed in other reviews, this is a classic story of abuse and denial, told time and time again, but has the ring of actuality about it. The fact that the background is Nigeria and not a more familiar locale makes it even more compelling. The revelation that this kind of abuse is prevalent in that corner of the world makes it all the more horrifying, plus the fact that part of the father's abuse is to deny his children access to his traditionalist father and heritage. As another reviewer has remarked, I look forward to a sequel because these characters are so vivid, I want to know what happened to them once the book was finished.

Ms Adichie's writing style is captivating, like poetry, or a song...She is a breath of fresh air...

Purple Hibiscus is deep and real. Even though I am Nigerian and can thus relate to a lot of what she writes about, being from another tribe and not being catholic still made me have some "Aha" moments.

I have to say I was a little shocked by the ending. It was somewhat unexpected and I was even a little sad but it just goes to show how real the story was.

It was definitely not a predictable outcome though very plausible.

I intend to read all of Chimamanda Adichie's work. I want to write like her when I grow up!

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie never disappoints—her captivating writing and compelling TED Talks drew me to Purple Hibiscus, which I devoured. The story of fifteen-year-old Kambili and her family seamlessly blends modern Nigerian culture and political unrest with Kambili’s internal struggle and growth. Her coming-of-age story is particularly fraught with conflict because of her abusive and controlling father, who’s described as “a colonial product” (13). Adichie’s novel raises questions about the nature of religion, the role of the extended family in the raising of children, and how to resolve tensions between traditional ways and colonialism. Reading this as an outsider to Nigerian culture, I found it positively illuminating and connected very deeply with Kambili’s trials and tribulations.

My one point of contention with Adichie’s novel is that it has a very similar cast of characters to Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions, which was published fifteen years earlier. As in Nervous Conditions, we find a controlling, religious, abusive patriarch ruling over the roost creating mental anguish for those who must decide whether to “sell themselves out” in exchange for the privilege he offers. Indeed, a novel written from Nyasha’s perspective, who is the cousin of the protagonist in Nervous Conditions, would read much like Purple Hibiscus.

That said, this did not draw away from Adichie’s strong narrative and compelling storyline with a different takeaway than Nervous Conditions. I highly recommend this book and Adichie’s other work, particularly The Thing Around Your Neck, her collection of short stories.

I don't know how many of you out there have ever read Nigerian writer. Not do I know what do you expect from one. Being a Nigerian, and being a women, puts Chimananda Adichie Ngozi in an ungratefull position. Critics will expect different kind of voice, one that will open new worlds, and depending on the ideology which they represent, they will try to read The Purple Hibiscus" according to their own agenda. You should be hearing about oppresion of females, orthodox catholicism and its drawbacks, violent paternalism and many such things which imposes themselves upon reading of this book.

Some of them will look for traces of political radicalism, looking to find solution for problem of third world countries. In any case, some kind of ideological reading of this book should be present out there. It is it's inevitable destiny, being what it is.

Few people will look upon this novel, as novel itself, without putting it into some kind of dominant or popular discourse. And those who will, what will they find?

They will find the story of fear, story of growing up and change of ideals, much of it will be similar (for those of you who have read them) with Hosseini's The Kite Runner" and Levy's Small island", but somehow still it will be different.

There is no superficial judgment present in this book, there are no easy solutions to problems presented here. Characters are drawn (born into) into enchanted circle from which they cannot ever escape. Only possible solution is destruction, or deconstruction, but without spare identity in which arms you can ran into, even those options are limited and unavaliable.

Those of you who are fed up with stories of growing up in some backwater country, of dominant fathers and lack of justice or some such concept, will not look kindly upon this book. It will seem to them that they've seen it all before. But, in case they choose not to read it, they will miss excellent novel, which precisely draws problems of modernity, in it's modern day appearance. Even though philosophy and possibility of solution presented here isn't as explicit as you might expect, it is still present and it carries the book and it's characters to something more than just another post-colonial novel".

There are not many postisms here, there is no unique feminine voice that speaks for the Africans, there is just a novel, carefully written, which will give chance to everyone, for their own solution, and their own, ideological or not, interpretation. Just that should be invitation enough to read the book.

Purple Hibiscus is a book that helped me connect to a voice that I am rarely exposed to. Being able to read Chimamanda Adichie's vivid words helped to understand Kambili's experience. The only part of the book so would criticize is the ending which seems so incredibly bleak for really every character. I would have liked it much if there was at least a little hope for some of the characters, but maybe that's just my affinity for happy endings. As a young adult, I think this book is a must read for people aged 14-18 to be able to understand and empathize with the experiences of people that are around the same age but are within different cultures. Adichie also did a good job with keeping the book simple and straightforward while also making it a very interesting read!

"Purple Hibiscus" is the debut novel from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It is the story of Kambili and her family. Kambili's father is a powerful force both at home and in the family. He holds fast to his Catholicism he views anyone who does not follow Christ as firmly as he does as a sinner and doomed to a fiery eternity. He is not simply the father, but the ruler of the household. Kambili's father sets a daily schedule for Kambili and her brother, Jaja, that they must follow to the minute and they are commanded to be the best students in their school. While Jaja has a strength to his character, Kambili is meek and has the sense of being emotionally beaten down, though she has a strong narration throughout the novel.
The novel is set in Nigeria and it begins on Palm Sunday with a fight within the family. Jaja is disobedient to his father and this seems like the beginning where cracks start appearing in the family, but Kambili tells us that the true beginning of this story happens earlier than this. The second section of the novel is "before Palm Sunday" and is set an uncertain amount of time before Palm Sunday (at least, I didn't figure out exactly what the timeframe was). This section traces Kambili's family and extended family as it leads up the Palm Sunday event, and we learn that the fight was not really a beginning, but an ending, that the fight was the result of all of the time before and the changes that were made in Kambili and Jaja, and by extension - to the family. Section Three is "After Palm Sunday" and we see the ramifications of that fight and at this point it feels inevitable what happens next.
This is a strong, powerful novel, and even though it is set in a location that I have no knowledge of, it is really a novel about a family and a 15 year old girl. Some things are universal, despite cultural differences. This story of Kambili and her family is one such thing. If you put the characters in a different setting (rural America, perhaps), the same story could play out with only a few differences. This is the power of the story, that knowing nothing of Nigeria, we can understand the story Adichie is spinning.

Purple Hibiscus
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2003, 307 pages (hard)
ISBN # 1-56512-387-5
5 Star Rating
Dee Stewart, Reviewer
Fifteen year old, Kambili barely breaths, speaks or exists in her privileged, but suffocating Nigerian home with her brother Jaja and her parents. Kambili's father's dominance is felt not only in her home, but in all of Nigeria except for her Aunt Ifeoma. When Aunt Ifeoma persuades Kambili's father to allow the children to visit her in Nsukka, while they are on holiday. Kambili and Jaja's minds blossom into free spirits. JaJa learns the beauty of life, while Kambili falls in love with a handsome young priest. How will these two go back to such a strict and abusive home when they have been surrounded around love and the beauty of the purple hibiscus?
Adichie writes so effortlessly that you find yourself transported to Nigeria, smelling the rich soil and tasting the flowers. Purple hibiscus is a superbly written work. It is enchanting and engaging all at once. One of my favorite lines in the book is :

I love short works of fiction be it short stories or novellas, because they cut to the chase and tell the story matter-of-factly. Yet, this novel does the same thing. From the first page, you know the conflict, the characters and a hint at the ending all at once. After the third page, I was excited to know the end. It was a page turner, which forced me to either stay up late at night or throw the book on the floor, to make myself go to sleep. This book will haunt you for months after you have put it down.
Adichie does an excellent job at fleshing out her characters. She makes them real at an instant. Kambili is so shy and afraid to live that you want to take a flight to Nigeria and remove her from that mansion. JaJa is so strong and silent that you want to shake him to make him scream. Their mother, Beatrice is such a caterpillar. You wait for her to become the butterfly and I can see Father Adami's clay colored skin and brilliant smile in my mind, behind my eyes. Adichie makes these characters so likable and so real.
This book and its cover reminds me of Olympia Vernon's Eden, but it is set in Nigeria not Mississipi. Both books brilliantly tell the story of people of African descent in such a magical way that you feel power in every page. You feel this undying will that manifests the struggle of African people, their struggle to be heard, recognized and loved. Purple Hibiscus is as timeless as the sand and as beautiful as the flower it is named after.

This is a great book! It is very immerseful. Once you pick it up you cn't put it down. It has some deep moments, so make sure you're mature enough to handle themes of abuse and sex. I think they need longer breaks between the intense part, but It was still very good. It takes you away from the world you are in now which is exactly what books are supposed to do. It shows not just the different cultures of America and Africa, but different cultures in Africa. You learn some of the language and customs of multiple parts of Africa. You learn some of the language and customs. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Whereas this wasn't a cheerful book there were beautiful descriptions and cheering comments. Characterization was excellent; the people were believable and I either loved or hated them. But even the worst...the father..had redeeming features. (his charitable contributions). The book informed me as to the economic problems of Nigeria as well as the danger of religious fanaticism. It illustrates the truth that some, by thinking they are doing good, (like missionaries) really do damage to a foreign culture.

If you're not sure which new book to pick, choose one published by Algonquin Press. They seem to select the most consistent string of quiet winners.
Purple Hibiscus is an amazing debut novel about Kambili, a 15yo Nigerian girl who is the keeper of ugly secrets from within her privileged family, a family dominated and abused by her religious fanatic father. She is offered escape when she visits her Aunty Ifeoma, a university lecturer who is supporting her children on her small salary. A tragic conclusion slowly builds as old secrets and new tensions rise to the surface. As Kambili blossoms toward maturity, she questions values she once held as inscribed in stone. Her own turmoil is mirrored in that of her country. A startlingly good coming-of-age novel, disconcerting and thought-provoking.

This book is a wonderfully crafted piece of fiction that pulls the reader in immediately. Set in modern day Africa we are brought into the very private and abusive family life of Kambili, her brother Jaja, and their parents, Eugene and Beatrice. Eugene is the product of colonialism and the Catholic missionaries having come into Africa, and it is within his own family that the circle of abuse continues. The story is told from the view point of his daughter Kambili who is neither bitter nor angry, but is merely a timid young adolescent trying to understand her place in this world. Themes are beautifully interwoven thoughout this masterpiece. Color is a constant thread and often the harbinger of things to come, and the hibiscus are also used in similar manner. If you are looking for a worth while piece of fiction this is it, and if you are looking for something more you have come to the right place, since I feel this book appeals both to the scholar and the casual reader. I was unable to put the book down once I got started and would recommend it to anyone.

I loved Purple Hibiscus. Chimamanda Adichie is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This book is about a 15 year old girl named Kambili. She tells the story of what her life was like growing up in a wealthy Nigerian household with an intensely religious father. Her life revolved around her family. The novel reflects this, as it is primarily about how Kambili's family teachers her how to become a stronger and more independent woman. Kambili is originally very introverted, she does not do things for fun nor have friends. She does her schoolwork and nothing else. She has to be number one in her class or else she will get in trouble with her father, who is very religious, and very abusive. The environment Kambili lives in is very oppressive and frightening. Her role in the household is that of the dutiful daughter who does not question what the Church or her father tells her. When Kambili starts spending time with her Aunt and cousins her view of the world starts to change, it becomes wider and she hesitantly starts questioning her father's practices like his extreme intolerance of other religions.
It was not until the end of the novel that I paid any attention to the structure of the book. Kambili tells the story in three parts, Palm Sunday, Before Palm Sunday, and After Palm Sunday. Most of the book is about Before Palm Sunday. I like the way it is set up. The first chapter is actually the climax of the story. Kambili's brother Jaja rebels against Eugene which starts a chain of events that will eventually set Kambili free.
I am starting to notice that Adichie likes to give mute characters a voice through written words. Kambili is such a frightened girl that she hardly ever speaks, and yet she is the narrator. I like that Adichie does this because it shows a different view point, Kambili is not a heroin, but she is a protagonist. Reading the story of this very troubled family through Kambili's eyes brings an interesting perspective.
The novel paints a very vivid picture of Nsukkah, a city in Nigeria that centers around a university. Kambili's Aunt, Ifeoma, is a Professor at the university and is being accused of saying bad things about the way the university is run, which she indeed has done. The politics of the university are a background to Kambili's story; you hear her cousins talking about the student riots, and the fact that Ifeoma has not been getting paid regularly, but Kambili never really comments on it. However, Nsukkah creates a great place for Kambili to escape from her father's home. The feeling in Aunty Ifeoma's house is the exact opposite of Kambili's house. It is small and there is not always running water or electricity. But more than that, Aunty Ifeoma's house is full of laughter and people talking openly and freely. Kambili has a hard time adjusting to this at first because she is too afraid to speak, but she eventually learns how to stand up for herself. In Nsukkah, the city of rioting students and controversial politics, Kambili learns how to express herself through words.
Aunty Ifeoma and her daughter Amaka, serve as strong female role models for Kambili. Aunt Ifeoma is nowhere near as rich as Eugene, but she is still a successful woman. Aunty Ifeoma is a strong woman who does not need a man to be able to take care of herself and her three children. She is educated and independent. Amaka is very smart as well, and she is very passionate about social justice. Amaka is the one who teaches Kambili to stand up for what is right and wrong. She forces Kambili to stand up for herself. Ifeoma and Amaka are not your stereotypical passive female characters. Adichie often has characters in her novels that are strong, independent women, which is not usual in other forms of Nigerian literature and film.
I loved Purple Hibiscus and cannot wait to spend my summer reading other novels by Adichie.

I found this book to be extremely slow-moving with just too much time spent on nothing that moved the story line along. The end was predictable and I actually regret sticking it out that long when there are so many other books to read. I am surprised by the other reviewers' ratings!

Purple Hibiscus is a beautiful story written by the extremely talented, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Surprisingly, Purple Hibiscus was Adichie's first book published and I am very impressed by how well written and enjoyable it is. The characters are intriguing and complex. I have read a few other novels by Adichie that include The Thing Around Your Neck, but Purple Hibiscus has easily won my heart between the two.

The story revolves around the main character Kambili Achike, a fourteen-year-old girl that is raised in an abusive environment. Her father is seen as a raging tyrant and often times is vicious toward Kambili, her brother Jaja, and her mother. The novel is set in postcolonial Nigeria, which is known for it's political instability and economic difficulties, which I view as something that foreshadows the volatility of the Achike household.

A major component of the novel is Kambili's lack of self-identity. She is an interesting individual who is faced with many different hardships and seeks knowledge and understanding of the world around her through many things including her education. She is very clearly driven by fear and therefore is many times misunderstood by her peers. Throughout the course of the novel, Kambili learns how to become an independent woman through the support of her Aunt Ifeoma, Amaka, and Father Amadi. In my eyes, this drastic change in Kambili proves Purple Hibiscus to be representational a coming to age story.

Jaja is another interesting character. Judging by how difficult his upbringing is, I can understand how the hardships he endures greatly affect his life. He seems to be a more headstrong and outspoken person in comparison to his sister, Kambili and this was evident when he opted not to attend the Communion on Palm Sunday. He went against his father's wishes, which is a major turning point in the novel for the Achike family. Jaja's decision to go against his fathers wishes has often been referred to as "the beginning of the end" for their family.

Although there are many complex characters within the novel, I feel that the most important and influential character of the book is Eugene- Kambili and Jaja's father. He plays a vital role in the novel and his actions determine a significant amount of events that occur in the book. When Eugene feels as though an act by one of his family members is immoral or does not meet his expectations, he rebels against them in violent ways. For example, when Beatrice does not wish to visit with Father Benedict because she is ill, Eugene chooses to beat her. Not only does Eugene beat his wife but he also beats his children. When I say beaten, this doesn't mean that he just slaps them around, this means that he goes to the extent of poring boiling water on Kambili and Jaja's feet as well as kicking Kambili until she needs to be hospitalized. Eugene wants to have a family with positive morals and goals, however, his actions are quite hypocritical if you ask me. Although he says his motives are for his family's own good, I think he is a lying, deceiving, and immoral tyrant.

As previously stated, I really liked Purple Hibiscus. The themes of Domestic Violence, Colonialism, and Nigerian Politics were interesting to read about because I was able to compare them to a great deal of works I have previously read including those of Franz Fanon and the novella and film, Xala. I think the novel would have benefitted from Adichie digging a bit deeper and expressing more feeling throughout the novel, however, I did take away a lot from the experience of reading Purple Hibiscus and would most definitely recommend it to those interested in any of the themes mentioned above.

Chimamanda Adiche's novel Purple Hibiscus describes the deterioration of an abusive father and his family against the backdrop of the collapse of Nigerian society as it endures a military coup. The story is very well written and the character development is intriguing and captivating to read. In a way this is a coming of age story that shows the development of an abused girl who learns how to take care of herself against all odds. The story is seen through the eyes of the fourteen-year old daughter Kambili Achike, who is very insecure due to the strict conditions her father forces her to live under. She originally believes the physical and emotional abuse her father Eugene inflicted upon her, her brother Jaja, and her mother were normal gestures of love, but as she grows so does her understanding of what her father really is and how damaging his behavior has been toward her and her family. His abuse was so hostile at times that he kicked Kambili to the point where she needed to be hospitalized and poured boiling hot water onto Kambili and Jaja's feet.
Kambili is often misunderstood because her fear is her motivation in life. She lacks awareness and self-identity and as a result is often times lost or confused. She turns to education to try and make sense of the world around her. Her peers and even her cousin see her as a privileged snob, but really she is very sheltered and naïve. As the political and socio-economic systems collapse so does the life Kambali knew and she goes to visit her aunt Ifeoma. The lifestyle is such a drastic change from anything Kambili is used to. Ifeoma's home is loving and free-spirited, but does not have the wealth Kambili is used to. Instead she is cared for and nurtured and finds a new strength within herself. At this time we see Kambili transform into a more independent young woman who is learning to assert herself and take charge of her life. With the help of her aunt, Father Amadi, and Amaka, Kambili begins to find herself and comes to realize that her father is not the upstanding pillar of the community she once believed him to be.
Unlike Kambili, her brother Jaja is much more outspoken and independent from the beginning though it is clear that the abuse and harsh upbringing has affected him emotionally and physically. In fact, his decision to ignore the request of his father to go to the Communion is referred to as "the beginning of the end." This marks a major turning point in the novel because for the first time Eugene does not hold all the power in his family. I admire Jaja for having the courage to stand up to his father knowing the punishment could be devastating, but fighting for his freedom anyway. In a lot of ways he might be the strongest character in the novel.
I really liked the contrast between the family setting and the hostile environment plaguing Nigeria. The way Adiche blends the two settings sheds a unique light on each situation. In a way they feed off each other. The conflict puts families like Kambili's in danger, while families feed the conflict going on around them by adding to the destabilization of Nigerian society. Though they live in a post-colonial society it is clear that colonialism had a deep impact on Nigeria and Kambili's family. Her father is a fanatical Catholic who uses religion to justify his actions, but there is no justification for what he's done.
Adiche is brilliant and a fantastic writer, which can be seen when reading Purple Hibiscus. I also suggest reading Adiche's The Thing Around Your Neck if you enjoyed reading this one.

Chimamanda Adichie's debut novel Purple Hibiscus is a strong piece of Third World literature that not only speaks to the general struggle of Third World countries, but also to Nigeria specifically.

The novel focuses not only on Nigeria as it endures the military coup, but also focuses on the growth and change that Kambili, the main character, experiences as well. Originally, Kambili is quiet and accepting. She often considers her father's act's of repression and abuse normal and does not question his more Westernized way of thought. On the other hand, Kambili's brother Jaja is more rebellious, and often tries to live outside the boundaries his father has set.

When the children go to live with their father's sister, Ifeoma, due to the military coup, they finally get to experience life outside of the world of rules and schedules that their father has created. The two children are immersed in the more traditionalist Nigerian way of thinking. The growth and changes in Kambili and Jaja to become themselves and not the people their father crafted, was one of the most compelling parts of this novel. Watching the two children learn to live life was something I really enjoyed. Kambili goes from relying on education to give her an identity and instead learns to voice her own opinions and become an independent young woman outside of the education identity. Although from the beginning Jaja had rebelled against his father, he finally finds something he enjoys-gardening, and through that becomes an even stronger character.

I really enjoyed how the conflicts of the novel often spoke to larger themes of the Third World and Nigeria specifically. For example, when Kambili learns that her father, who is part of the bourgeoisie- like class, is not the upstanding person he claims to be, this speaks to the larger theme of how the bourgeoisie in Third World countries were a typically weak class of people. Also the contrasting pictures of Westernized Nigeria and Traditionalist Nigeria presented in the novel through the characters of Kambili's father and Aunt Ifeoma speaks to the larger idea of the struggle of trying to let these two worlds coexist peacefully in Nigeria.

Something else that really stuck out to me with this novel is the change from negative ideas and images in the beginning, to the more positive ideas and images in the end. In the beginning, the family really struggles to connect due to the father's abusiveness and fanatic religiousness. In the end though, they seem to unite under the oppression and become more full of life and create the connection they seemed to lack. The changes in the family speak to the idea the strength of the family unit and its power. If looking at how this alludes to Nigeria, it could be seen as Nigeria in a pre and post-colonial sense, meaning that when Nigeria was under colonial rule, the country and its people were unable to be themselves and instead were told to become what Britain wanted them to be. On the other hand, in the post-colonial sense, after gaining independence, Nigerians were able to regain their individual identities.

Purple Hibiscus is a truly enjoyable read that cannot be passed over. If you are looking for a wonderful book to read, read this one. If you want a wider depiction of Nigeria, I recommend Adichie's The Thing Around Your Neck and Half A Yellow Sun. These two other works along with Purple Hibiscus truly give a varied view on the country. Purple Hibiscus is a truly remarkable debut novel that did not disappoint.

This is first-rate historical fiction that reads like a memoir. Written in first person narrative by the main character, Kambili Achike, a 15-year-old Nigerian girl, it is a stunningly original debut novel.

Brought up in an extremely privileged household Kambili is brought up by a father who is a religious fanatic, to the point of physically abusing his children and wife when they do not follow the "rules" that he imposes regarding praying, etc. As the children have grown to teens they begin to question many of their father's actions. They are not allowed to visit their grandfather because their father regards him as an "unrelenting pagan" who will poison the children's minds. The narrative is restrained yet luminous and telling.

When political unrest begins to strike close to home, they are finally allowed to visit their Aunty Ifeoma's warm, crowded, somewhat impoverished household. They are transported into another world where the children speak freely; there is laughter, music and talk. Slowly they begin to realize the extent of their imprisoned lives.

The novel is written with sensitivity and originality in wonderful prose. It depicts an unfamiliar culture while describing family values and the universal turmoil of teenagers. I would highly recommend it to book clubs.

A look at the experience of domestic violence and child ABUSE in a prosperous, Christian,Nigerian family. How the family members rationalized there experiences in the name of God, love and family.
Ddixon

39 other reviewers have hit the main points of plot, character, award-winning writing, etc., but I'd like to emphasize the possible allegory (intended by the author, or not)that the Nation is a Family, and that the family she writes about represents the struggles of her native Nigeria. For me, this interpretation enhances her treatment of characters and plot. This book also stimulated me to search the Internet for information and photos about Nigeria (foods, plants, maps, and political analyses), of which, like most Americans, I know so little. Tagged by some as a "coming-of-age" story sadly misses the depth of this novel. I look forward to reading more from this young, insightful writer.

I have read most of Adichie's works and cannot get enough of her descriptive, intentional writing and complex characters. This novel hit me like a thunder storm - it is subtle yet puncturingly beautiful and difficult to pull yourself away from. There are some heavy themes but a current of hope runs through them.

I was in Barnes & Noble and was walking past the new fiction section and just happened to pick up this book. It wasn't on sale and I had never heard anything about it nor had I heard of the author. So I took a chance and decided to go ahead and pay full price (which I never do)! Suffice it to say, I have not been disappointed. This book is sooooo good. It's a slow, mystical kind of read. It's also shocking, lyrical, and very enlightening. There's one scene, when Kambili goes upstairs to the bathroom to see what her father wants with her, and I was totally caught off guard. I will be recommending this novel to all of my friends, family, and of course, my book club. For anyone who is a parent, I would definitely recommend this book. I hope to one day meet the author.

It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once I did I was hooked. I could babble on and on about the exotic nature of the Nigerian setting, which I did enjoy, but this novel transcends its culture while at the same time honoring it. A story of child and spousal abuse (read the novel for an explanation of my review's title), this is also a tale of a young girl's maturation and self-actualization. Kambili represents the pull between tradition and modernization, but she also resonates as a survivor and ultimate victor over the traumas of childhood. This is a very sad novel, but at the same time it is a remarkable tale of the resilience and affirming strength of life itself.

Kambili is fifteen. She lives with her mother, and brother in the house completely controlled by her over-bearing Christian father whose ideas of "keeping the faith" include numerous forms of torture. The story of her life is played out against the larger struggles of one of Nigeria's many coups.

The story is well-written, and does a fine job of exploring Nigerian custom, life in the big and small cities in Nigeria, and the differences between religious fanatics - Catholic and others.

I just finished re-reading this masterpiece. And the second time was better than the first. When I describe this book to others, I find myself able to recall the colors, sounds, and feelings that Adichie provokes with her vivid descriptions of human emotion. Absolutely amazing. There are times when you get totally connected with the main character and as the reader, you're able to appreciate the narrator's vivid and articulate descriptions of her inability to express herself verbally in her interactions with others. This is a paradox that I don't think many writers could really pull off. However, Ms. Adichie nails it! She grabs your emotions and takes you on a ride for which preparation is impossible. For me, that is the sign of a promising writer with a bright future. I definitely recommend this one and look forward to reading more by this author.

Many book groups will have a good read from this one: how does the family compare and contrast with the emerging state of Nigeria? The whole charm is in her descriptions of everyday life in Nigeria, what they eat, how it is prepared differently, the gardens, the use of water, the beliefs, servants or lack, supplies like milk or gas, or deprivation, and work-arounds. Overall the story-line seemed trite, almost formulaic, far more poignantly written in The Poisonwood Bible. This story seemed to take very long time to develop, heavy-handed clues about the life differences in a Nigerian brother and a sister's households, as they dealt with their country's mid-twentieth century acclimatization with Western education, religions from the 19th C, and political progress, such as it was.

Maybe that should be accepted for the struggles undergone, but the skewed versions presented by the characters seem poised to criticize the West, and offer a very shallow understanding of the causes: yes, it was hard to translate a degree in medicine from Africa to a Medical position in the US. It was also hard for a Swiss born citizen, trained in France by the masters of the New York Psychoanalytic Society to bring his PHd and Psychoanalysts career to the US without a thorough re-training in US systems (friend of mine, married an American and moved here). They seem surprised that a lawyer in Nigeria would need re-accredation or further training to practice in the US, although as US law is based on case study, this is self-evident to anyone who understands legal systems, and is not any sort of reflection on how the US views others, simply that one must understand the local rules before charging out. It is never shown that the Nigerian's assumption is uninformed, or presumptuous, or defensive and inappropriate; they claim that the reason they need further study is that they are not respected; no, the reason is that to work in the US, one needs to understand US systems. The view that the US disparaged the knowledge and understanding of a highly trained Nigerian was allowed to stand withoug really understanding what was going on.

Similarly, the 'Papa' person is posed as a generous, thoughtful, proactive figure deeply helping the country, yet so inhibited in personal life by his narrow interpretation of Christianity that he acts viciously and cruelly to his own family, in his efforts to get them to measure up to his irrational expectations, yet this is not posed as a personal interpretation but allowed to appear as the way Christianity demands one to be. His harsh punishments for minor infractions seem medieval in their arbitrariness, harmfulness and irrelevance to the main purpose, and not at all the way Christianity is played out in 20th C America or Europe. It is sad that he might be personifying what it means to be Christian to so many in Africa, and readers of this book; this is not it at all, and no objective sentence in the book suggests a different view. Perhaps this shallow intransigence IS the way missionaries portrayed their proselytizing; then it was awful, and ignorant. Is that the point? it is inarticulate. We do not know. It seems wrong that this view of Christianity is posed as the whole system in contrast to the Nigerian traditional spirit world. Actually, more than wrong, it seems deliberately skewed, manipulated, narrowed, attenuated and forced, in order to generate some kind of sympathy for the rich cousins who seem to have everything.
Much, far too much, has been done harmfully in the name of Christianity, but the basic tenets are unprecedented in world history, and remain a vision of the future: peace, love, forgiveness. This is not what the Nigerian Dad enacts. It does not seem to a non-Christian Westerner (me) that this writer has made her point without resorting to caricatures and stereotypes.

Which brings one to the simplistic and stilted obvious story line: rather crudely balanced. Why do we never learn how this family made their way from the village to this prominence of their munificence? just taken for granted that it could happen, yet, in all other Nigerian stories, one advances purely as a result of what one has given out, ie, what did he do to get there? we are left in the dark. His good acts for other citizens lie in stark contrast with his cruelty to his family, over whom he has complete power. Is he misguided? Is this necessary for progress? Is it a parallel to the government of the country?

Her descriptions of the inhibitions felt by Kambili are lovely, true to the sense of a teen emerging her consciousness. They alone made it possible to finish the book, as well as the fact that it was given me by my daughter. I think we both were more interested in Americannah, though.

It's one of those wonderful stories that can broaden your perspective while being incredibly emotionally engaging. This is an amazing first novel from such a young writer with her heart and soul in it.It's a vivid, beautifully written novel about a 14 year-old girl named Kambili growing up in a stifling Catholic household in Nigeria. The story pairs the collapse of the family's strong patriarch who frequently physically abuses his family alongside with the deterioration of the Nigerian society's infrastructure as it undergoes a military coup. Kambili is a very sheltered child who is incredibly insecure because of the repressive regimen her father forces her to follow. Yet, she is looked down upon by her peers and initially scorned by her outspoken cousin because she is viewed as a privileged snob. When she visits her aunt and cousins she learns how to assert herself and become a more independent individual.
Adichie knows the language of the abused child and speaks simply, directly to her audience. She garners an audience of survivors who respond to personal empowerment, wrapped in hope.This powerful, yet subtle novel is striking on two levels: one is the subjection of society to the tyranny of the chaos that results from a political coup; the second is the role of family in the formation of children's lives.

I have heard Chimamanda Adichie speak, and I love her Ted Talk on the "Danger of the Single Story". This book is incredibly well written, descriptive, and great character development. However, it is a dark story and I tend to prefer happier stories. Excellent telling of the story though.

This is the story of Kambili, a shy 15 year old Nigerian girl with a rich and strictly religious father who is loved by the community (even receiving an award from Amnesty) and both loved and feared by his children whom he lovingly terrorizes. Kambili and her brother start to realize about the uncommonnes of their situation while staying with their father's poor but independent sister and her children.
This book is about children loving their parents whatever happens and also (but less) about the place and time in which the story was set. In both ways it is an interesting and beautiful story.
The terrible father who wants the best for his family reminded me of Allie Fox in Paul Theroux's Mosquito Coast, although Allie was not so cruel (physically).
If you are interested, like me, in the daily life in other countries and other times the setting is an added bonus.

The story rings so true, as a reader you can understand both the hate and the love and the way Kambili and her brother deal with it so well, that I hope this is just due to Adichie's great gift as a writer.

Compared to Half of a yellow sun (that I read first and also liked very much) I think it is a bit less about hard times in Nigeria and even more about people and the way they survive in emotional hard times. For teenage girls I would recommend Purple Hibiscus because it also is about daughters and fathers and falling in love.

Anyway and anybody (grumpy old man or sweet teenage girl): read it!

So easy to read. Full of the Nigerian culture. Though I could not say I enjoyed it. The horrific domestic violence was just too disturbing for me. And the fact it was meted out under the guise of religious fervor is even more disturbing. This book really showed how a fanatic religious person can destroy a family and others with the encouragement of the church.

Adichie's "Purple Hibiscus" will join other notable first novels like "Things Fall Apart" in the canon of great African literature. It is a very good story of the stuggles within one Nigerian family, with a domineering father, a sad, submissive mother, a defiant brother, and a daughter who is torn between following her aunt or her father. I did like the aunt's perspective, but on the other hand, I don't like the insinoution that pagans are spiritually purer than Christians. I also thought that the book excused the mother a little too much for how she finally dealt the family problem.

This is my first novel by Chimamanda Adichie whom I have been wanting to read for some time now. The book is about a family living in Nigeria under the strict rule of the devoutly Catholic father, Eugene. Our narrator is the daughter of the family, Kambili, who is fifteen and terrified of her father. Kambili's life work is to please her father. The other family members are the mother, Beatrice and a son, Jaja. Eugene is a tyrant that subjects them all to mental and physical abuse all in the name of religion.

Honestly, I have been nursing this book for some time. I have picked it up an put it down continually over the past few months. The beginning was so slow. It was like walking through mud. Towards the end things began to pick up because we were introduced to the character, Aunty Ifeoma. Aunty Ifeoma is Eugene's sister. She is a free spirit, a widower, and a mother to three lively children. It is when Kambili and Jaja go to visit them that they start to blossom and come into themselves. Aunty Ifeoma's children are not bound by rigid religious traditions and rules. Kambili is the character that had the most growth. She broke out of her shell and got in touch with her own emotions instead of them being dictated by her father. The ending was sad and shocking.

In my opinion, the book took a while to develop. There is nothing about this story that has left a lasting impression on me.

remarkable read. v. simple, sparse writing style creates a wholly understandable, irresistable world, as if the reader is magically sucked into it by the spaces between the words. quite unable to put it down. haunting.

I finally managed to get my hands on a library copy of Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I'm glad I did, because it's a truly beautiful book.

Fifteen-year-old Kambili lives in Nigeria with her parents and her older brother Jaja. Her father Eugene, a rich businessman and the owner of the only indipendent newspaper in the country, is considered a model of generosity and political courage. But he's also a fanatic Catholic and a tyrant at home, imposing a strict discipline over his family and lashing out cruel, violent punishment.

But everything changes for Kambili and Jaja when they go to live with their aunt Ifeoma, a university professor with three kids. In the new house there is laughter, music, and the ability to discuss matters. Kambili and Jaja discover a new life of independence, love, and freedom. And this will change their future forever.

I truly loved this book. Purple Hibiscus is a compelling story about the end of innocence, domestic violence, religious fanatism and the discovery of freedom, against the backdrop of an African country troubled by corruption and dictatorship.

If you haven't read it yet, go and grab a copy!

The first time I read purple hibiscus was because I was forced to by my literature teacher but I never regretted reading it every page was worth reading...a 2 weeks ago I was going thru the store wen I saw it and I willingly bought it with some other chimamamda novels and I loved it as usual....she is a good writer and purple hibiscus is my favourite

A wonderful picture of childhood in Nigeria in an affluent family The father, a successful business man,,rules his family with a streak of sadism all with the "highest motives". The two children and wife both suffer terribly from him but eventually work out ways to survive with the help of relatives who have much less materially but are much richer emotionally. The turbulent politics,in Nigeria, the influence of the Catholic church versus the native devotion to spirits,and the differences that money can make are all beautifully described.
A great book from a wonderful writer.

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This book gave me chills and stressed me out. I was living through the eyes of these characters. I swear I felt every emotion, every violation, every threat of pain. I stopped my breath when they did. Powerful writing!

I read her short stories and fell in love with her writing and then read all of her books.
Purple Hibiscus is a touching story of a young woman coming of age in Africa and by reading her story we not only get a glimpse of another culture but we see the humanity in us all.

I recommended this book and all the other books she has written.

A worthwhile journey into the intimate lives of a family. This book explores the oftentimes paradoxical relationships that can arise within families. Although this book is hard to put down, it is worth a slow comfortable read. I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed Purple Hibiscus. I am intrigued by books of different cultures and places. Some of the content of the book was disturbing and at times heart breaking, but it made for a relistic view into this young girl's life. I am not a religous person at all but I have to say that the positive spirituality in this book was enlightening and touching. One of the things that struck me most was the differences in the way the African characters treated family. There was a lot of love, respect and genuine caring among them, even the younger generation. Being an American it always amazes me how much many other cultures value their extended family and are willing and WANT to do much for them. I am looking forward to reading another book by this author and highly reccomend this book.

I don't really know what to say about the book. The imagery was great and the characters were well fleshed out. It really effected me, but I'm biased. Give the book a go and you won't be disappointed.

Purple Hibiscus is a beautiful story. The plot is based on a 14 year-old who grew up under the stifling patronage of a stern father. Her domineering father frequently physically abused his family alongside her, creating terror at home and stunting the psychological growth of his children. Against the backdrop of the deterioration of the socio-economic and political life of Nigeria as it undergoes a military coup, the life Kambili knows is shattered and she has to seek for refuge in the home of her aunt. Kambili the sheltered but highly restricted child, who never thought of herself as lucky and who had earlier been absconded by her peers and cousin because of her supposedly privileges, learns to assert herself and becomes a beloved character, a character who easily understood the plight of those around her.. Kambili at first came to terms with her father as someone who regarded himself as a pillar of the community and someone she genuinely loved. Even the emotional and physical pains he inflicted are seen only as a gesture of love for her own good, but later she comes to consider his actions as abnormal. With its vivid portrayal of Nigerian life, and brilliant dissection of the characters , this novel moves at a pace which is electrifying.
[...]

"Purple Hibiscus" is really good with being able to connect with the reader. The storyline and characters are so well developed that they same as if they could be real people. If felt as though I was reading something based of a true story. The most amazing thing about this book was that it could be relatable with a lot of people. Theres probably families out there going through almost the same thing as the Achike family. The in depth detail of the characters and certain word choices y the author was amazing. It really brought the characters to life. It felt as though the characters and their problems were real. I really enjoyed the fact that the storyline felt human and it wasn't like I was reading about some crazy problems. The whole book was just amazing to read.

This is my first Adichie book and I just cannot wait to read the others. A work of fiction yet laced with facts that make me feel like I know this family. I cannot forget how Nigerians took to the street rejoicing when a certain military dictator died. Things were that bad during military rule. Well done!

A wonderful and emotional peek into, and portrayal of, a portion of modern every day life in Nigeria that we don't often see explored in mainstream Western literature. If her most recent endeavor Americanah serves to show, Adichie has only continued to grow and blossom into one of the best contemporary fiction writers of our generation.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first read by this author. The characters were real, even though I couldn't understand why they put up with the father, but I put that on seeing things from another perspective. But the characters were well developed to me and the story evoked emotion. I thought this was an engaging first book.

I read this novel after having read Half of a Yellow Sun, Adichie's other novel, which I loved. Purple Hibiscus was very different- possibly because it was written from the point of view of a child- and yet it was wonderful as well. Adichie's prose is enchanting, engrossing, and uplifting. Her novels draw you in and don't let go even after you have put them down.

Gripping story that suspends the reader's expectations to a degree. I often felt some leaps in story-line that almost interrupted the natural flow of the story's rhythm. There's something about the denouement that seemed like it was weaved into the body of the novel not by natural flow of thoughts and/or events but by the 'need' to conclude the novel.

Adichie takes you up close and personal into the social dynamics of a wealthy Nigerian family. The political climate of the country is also revealed through the interactions with close family relatives. Excellent writing and a great read!

Beautiful and intense are be best way to describe this book. The reader is immediately entrenched in the story, attached to each of the characters no matter how peripheral because the author gives each one such complexity through the narrator.

I liked this book all the way to the end. Kimbali, though too timid, was an interesting and very humble character. She lived to please her father and pleased her father to live. I was also able to relate to Eugene, Kimbali's father, because I grew up in a house under the duress of domestic abuse. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I got the notion that Eugene was abusive primarily because he loved his family... He often wept after beating them, and while he was an overly strict disciplinarian, he was rigidly loyal to the Christian religion (which I could appreciate) and he was an advocate for freedom of the press. He also wasn't afraid to tout off about his favorable views of democracy in his newspaper. In all honesty, I sort of thought of Eugene as the hero of the story, save for his abusive tendencies. But keep in mind, this may be from my own misguided thoughts due to my former presence in a highly dysfunctional family. I grew accustomed to abuse as a child and a teenager, and yet, I still love my father to this day. It's my opinion that had Eugene undergone some very intensive Christian counseling, he may well have been what you would call a protagonist. Suffice to say, I found Eugene to be one of the more interesting characters, both for his monstrosity and his redeeming qualities.

My main problem with this novel was the hurried ending. It never was clear who killed Eugene-- the mother or Kimbali's brother, Jaja. And it read as thought the author had been thinking to herself, "Oh yeah, I've got to end this story at a reasonable word count because it's my first novel and the agents may reject it if it's too long for a first timer." Also, regardless of whether or not it was Jaja or Kimbali's mother who killed Eugene, it just wasn't in their character and it didn't come across as believable, thus making not only one character come across as "flat," but two. E.M. Forester sums it up nicely when he says (and I'm paraphrasing here) that a character can be flat if they act in a certain way throughout the course of the novel and unexpectedly do something drastic which doesn't come across as being a believable part of their character so that a plot can be resolved.

Overall, this was good for a first novel, and I'd be willing to give the author another chance in the future... I liked the political finagling at the beginning, and Kimbali's love interest in Father Amadali drove the mid portion of the book, but I was SOOO disappointed with the ending. And ya know, the beginning of a book sells the reader on buying that book, but the ending sells that same author's next book, and for the sake of this particular ending, I wasn't satisfied. As I mentioned, however, I will give this author another chance because the novel did have such great potential. Keep in mind, I'm no pro reviewer, but I appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts and I hope that they were helpful.

I am inspired to revisit all the fallacies conjured by the stereotyping of Nigeria. Instead, I will buy myself a ticket, direct to Lagos to find the true spirit of my Nigerian cousins, characterized by Adichie's unforgettable craftsmanship.

I found the book to be a compelling but not lovable book. The father seems like two different people--the horribly strict and abusive parent/husband, on the one hand, and the brave advocate for democracy and press freedom on the other. It's not clear why the father became the super strict parent he became. Instead, his Catholicism is left to explain it all. I would resent that sort of slight of hand if I were Catholic, and I regret it as the reader. The fact that the author never attempts to reconcile the two sides of the father's personality is, in my opinion, a major weakness in what is otherwise a well written book.

The title of the novel initially caught my attention. I had intended to buy the book as a gift to one of my colleagues at work and decided to read it first to make sure she will like it. Well, lets say I bought her another book instead because I couldn't help not keeping Purple Hibiscus for myself. Chimamanda gave a very powerful account of the experience of the young Nigerian girl, highlighting very important influencers to growing up in the Nigerian society: religion, culture, politics, poverty, hope, courage and survival.

I decided to read this book after Chimamanda won an award in London. The book was definitely worth reading. It grips you right from the very beginning and keeps you hooked till the very end. It also delves a lot into the Ibo Nigerian culture that makes me wonder if non-Nigerians can follow the entire story.

My only criticism is that the book is very simplistic, which may be a good thing for someone who just wants a very light reading.

The author's command of the youth's narrative voice was superb. I was captivated by the beauty of the land's description, and the language of the people. This story unmasked the secrets in religious customs and the households of ordinary people. The way Adichie weaves the abusive angle of the father into the tale was genius.

No wonder Chinua Achebe is delighted by Chimamanda Adichie. And no wonder she can dare weave his legendary title into her story's open. Chimamanda Adichie has a very special writing talent -- raw yet also subtly refined. Her story reads the way incredible dancers dance -- convincingly, passionately, honestly, and seemingly, without any effort. "Purple Hibiscus" is insightful, fresh, honest, real. If you like Haitian writer Edwidge Dandicott (whose work I adore!), especially "Krik Krak," I think you'll also like Chimamanda Adichie.

I began this book while traveling and found it in the bedroom of a friend. She had good taste. Upon returning home I bought the book, and finished it in record time. In the end, to sum it up, it was the sweetest and most endearing book I've read in years. I plan to send it to my 14 year old and my 31 year old sisters. The characters are complex, dimensional, realistic and cunning; the plot is ironic, keen and engrossing; the writing is phenomenal. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Adichie takes any non-African reader into an enthralling fictional world without compromising anything about the context, history and sensibility of Nigerian life. She achieves this through sharp, immediate characterization and a strong storyline. It's not a "difficult" book - it's a total page-turner - but it packs a great deal of complexity beneath its apparently simple surface. When you finish this slim novel, you know you've been somewhere.

Finally a contemporary Nigeria writer has emerge as I could relate to every single character in this great literary piece I can even name each character match within the soci-political arena of modern day Nigeria.

It very typical of the pretense of the post colonial Nigerian in the character of Eugene and yet so innocent in Kambili's character which made it all the more touching

a trully wonderful book

This book was well written and I enjoyed reading it. I did not LOVE it though. Good enough to keep me reading but not good enough to keep me up late. Sadly, the main character's lives are realistic.

I bought this book a few months ago, Iwas riveted from the first line. Very good reading, excellent writing by this young author. I looked for other books by this author and found Half A Yellow Sun which was even better than Purple Hibiscus. I learned a lot about Nigeria and the civil war. I also learned some nigerian words. Great great writing by this young author.

I was a little apprehensive about reading this book. After a few pages, I immediately identified with the character and fell in love with her innocence and ready to please behaviour. I felt a little nostalgic with her description of the towns and the people, especially the women. Having visited Enugu and Nsukka lots of times. It is a great book, the words just jump out and hug you, ezioku.

There is no denying the appeal of Adicie's story which many readers have summarized and appreciated. But the reader needs to be aware of the political and religious positions the author holds. First, that European, colonial-sponsored missionary Catholicism seems to beget only sadists and tyrants, abused children and beaten spouses. (Note how Eugene is, finally, depicted as a victim of missonary sadism rather than of his own moral choices.) Africanized Christianity on the other hand seems to inspire only happy families and well-balanced people, mostly women. The love affair between the 30-something African priest and the 15 year old heroine is presented in wholly positive terms; the violation in spirit if not in physical intimacy of the priestly vow of celibacy is viewed with amused toreance and good humored innuendoes.

So it's a beautifully written touching tale, but beneath the appealing surface lurks the anti-colonial, anti-Catholic, anti-male liberal bias that is at the core of so much "serious literature" today.

This book was a bit of a disappointment storywise. It was very slow to get going. What was up with the father? Did he have a psychological disease? Why did he have such little empathy for his family? Was it supposed to be because he was so stressed out by the evil government that he had to take it out on the powerless people who loved him? The father was a monster who was equally as bad as the vile government. Does he represent a typical Igbo man with power? The angelic priest was not an Igbo, was he? The ending was bad. Did the son or the mother do it? Either one doing it makes them equally as bad as the father. The author couldnt make up her mind. The son must have done it, cause the premise of the book is that Igbo men with power are evil. Nice that the evil government allows the 3 of them to inherit all of Bad Daddy's money to squander as they wish and live happily ever after without Bad Daddy around.

I am VERY happy i did NOT spend money on this rubbish because i would be in a psych ward if i did. The book is boring and basically about nothing.. im SHOCKED at the high rating this book has!! I listened it for free when trying out audible...thank goodness i didn't have to pay!

Being the product of Igbo parents and wanting to learn more about my culture, I decided to read the book. It was a very sweet book, but as others commented on it is for pre-teen's to early teens.

In the end, I recommmend that others borrow this book...

As a debut, this novel is noteworthy, and the author paints a highly visual picture of the Africa she knows. To me, the disappointment with the novel was the author's inability to go deeper. It stayed very "surface level" with me, reads almost like a "young adult" novel. Also deals with the subject of physical abuse, so those who are unable to handle such content should avoid it.

I appreciated Adichie's exploration into the everyday of a traditional Nigerian family; it is easy to form a picture in one's mind. However, I expected more. I came away thinking and feeling "is this it?". The book seemed to lack a certain substance.
Anyhow, I am proud of her accomplishments and have her other book "Half of a Yellow Sun" waiting to be read. I hope it is better!

it's surprising that so many people gave this book a favorable rating - did we read the same book? i found "purple hibiscus" a little to simplistic and childish for any accolades - there was no particular insight on any of the issues e.g. physical abuse, first love, teenage angst/rebellion - to speak of, and the political ranting towards the end is laughable. apparently, everyone that can write a few words is now styling themselves as political activists, i wonder where ms. adichie was during those tumultous times - enjoying the breeze well away from the conflict in london - and now she's spewing out all the stuff she probably heard from her parents. i doubt that any self-respecting nigerian - unless you're the type that thinks "mills and boons" are literary masterpieces - will find anything remarkable about this book. as for people who don't know anything about nigeria, or africa, i suggest you read chinua achebe, buchi emecheta, or wole soyinka (for the cerebral) to get a real flavor.