Purple Hibiscus: Book summary and reviews of Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Purple Hibiscus Summary

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.

Purple Hibiscus Reviews

"In a soft, searing voice, Adichie examines the complexities of family, faith and country through the haunted but hopeful eyes of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood. Lush, cadenced and often disconcerting, this is an accomplished first effort." - Publishers Weekly.

"This is a harsh story, almost unbearable at first, but beautifully written." - School Library Journal, recommended for adults & high school.

"This impressive first novel is redolent in its depiction of the Nigerian countryside and generates a palpable narrative tension over what's to become of Kambili and Jaja's newfound sense of freedom." - Booklist.

"Quiet, chilling, and heart wrenching, this debut novel is both a superb portrait of an unfamiliar culture and an unflinching depiction of the universal turmoil of adolescence." - Voya, recommended for young adults and up.

"The stunning denouement underscores the power of family love. Written with great sensitivity, this debut shows why Adichie has already won several awards." - Library Journal.

"Like many first-novelists, Adichie tries for too much; her portrayal of Kambili's home life is striking but provides far too incomplete a depiction of Papa. Her portrait of Nigeria is fascinating but fragmented. Auntie Ifeoma and the cousins are likable enough but not memorable. Nonetheless, with Kambili the author has created a compelling narrative-and a surprising punch at end." - Kirkus.

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Purple Hibiscus Reader Reviews

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Rated of 5 by Onuoha Azuka Davidson
dave's review
Interesting! excellent!! well written novel by an epitome of the African woman.....Mrs Adichie. It captures man's inhumanity to man especially during military rule in Nigeria and also the negative effects of religious fanaticism and hypocrisy.

Rated of 5 by MEON3M
EXCELLENT
The book deals with the clash of beliefs and the resultant use of power.The book shows how abuse of parental authority affects children.I am not sure whether the resolution by Chimamanda in the book can be justified

Rated of 5 by kalejaye aminat olaide
the purple hibiscus
Chimamanda is actually a prolific writer, the book is very interesting and straightforward, a must read for everyone, especially students preparing for their final exams in Nigeria!

Rated of 5 by abeeb oredunni oniyere
praising
The book is rattling good reading. It is intelligible and comprehensive. The language used is straightforward and decipherable.

Rated of 5 by OLAWALE DANIEL
This Book Is Awesome
I don't really read many story books but I found this to be absolutely ok for me personally as the best I have ever read.

Rated of 5 by belema ibim
purple hibiscus
It is a magnificent book. It explores Kambili, a fifteen year old, and her life with her father - a hard man who disciplined his kids and showed no mercy at their actions, and her mother a tender-hearted woman who, despite the fathers actions. loves and cares for the family. Kambili's shyness leads her to world of adventure .

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Author Biography

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in Nigeria in 1977. She is from Abba, in Anambra State, but grew up in the university town of Nsukka where she attended primary and secondary schools and briefly studied Medicine and Pharmacy. She then moved to the United States to attend college, graduating summa cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State with a major in Communication and a minor in Political Science. She holds a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins and a Masters degree in African Studies from Yale.

Purple Hibiscus won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. It was also short-listed for the Orange Prize and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and long-listed for the Booker Prize. Her short fiction has appeared...

... Full Biography
Author Interview

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