A beautifully written African story (Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

Member Name: Emmamac1

Product:	Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Date:	07/07/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An understanding of African Life

Disadvantages: Sad in places

Purple Hibiscus is a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

It is a story set in Nigeria, Africa and based on a young fifteen year old girl, Kambili. Kambili lives in the city with her wealthy family, who are strong believers in the Catholic faith. Unfortunately Kambili's father has two sides to him. Firstly he is a strong Catholic, well respected, community member, and secondly, the strict bully at home. He would beat Kambili and her brother Jaja. The father is extremely irrational, he does not understand failure, and the children had to be number one in school. They were always terrified.

The novel develops and involves Kambili and her brother being sent away to their Aunt, in a smaller town, due to a military coup in the city. They are welcomed into their Aunts poorer way of life. She makes them realise that happiness and money do not need to be together. The siblings actually find themselves and begin to rebel against their father's rules and regulations. They discover that children can have fun.

Purple Hibiscus is a great, well written story. The author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who is from Nigeria, has written her first novel with clarity and feeling. It has a surprising twist at the end which makes you realise revenge can be sweet!

Summary: Read and enjoy...