What did I read this week? Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I admit that if I had passed this book on the shelf at the bookstore, I probably would have kept on walking. The patterned orange cover and name wouldn’t have clued me in to what lay within the pages.
Purple Hibiscus is the story of 15-year-old Kambili. She lives in Nigeria with her older brother, Jaja, and her parents. She leads a privileged life—the best school, plenty of food, and servants. But underneath the wealth and strict Catholicism, she and her brother and smothered by the authoritarian and abusive rule of their father.
When they are sent to stay with their aunt and cousins, they see for the first time what it would be like to live where there is laughter, debate, and spontaneity. Their relationship with God is also transformed.
Purple Hibiscus is about freedom, about a girl’s love of an imperfect father, and about reconciling faith with a broken world. And it’s about family—the good and the bad.
My honest opinion of Purple Hibiscus…
If I had passed this book by at the bookstore, then I would have missed out. It was a treasure. At times heart-wrenching, at times funny, and always thought-provoking.
My stomach would twist when I would see the strangling way that Kambili lived, how her father twisted faith so hard that it squeezed the life out of the believers. I felt gratitude that she and her brother had family that showed them what life was really about. That there was more to it than just being the best student, the best Christian, the best child.
The author has a way with words that made me feel like I was experiencing things along with Kambili. I could feel the oppressive Nigerian heat in the small flat her aunt lived in. I could see the beauty in the purple hibiscus her brother planted. And I could feel the turbulent ache of first love.
Her words were like poetry. This is one of my favorites, after the children returned from their aunt’s house and a confrontation ensued:
“Even the silence that descended on the house was sudden, as though the old silence had broken and left us with the sharp pieces.”
Purple Hibiscus was fascinating and surprising. I honestly did not see it ending as it did, but I was not disappointed by it in the least.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fiction that challenges them, takes them to places they may not recognize, and lets them walk in the gray area between right and wrong. If you love a good story, love to see characters develop, grow, and shed their prejudices, then this book is for you.
Purple Hibiscus is a great read that you shouldn’t miss. I, for one, am glad that I didn’t.
Happy Reading!
(Purple Hibiscus is available for FREE in audiobook form. Just sign up for the FREE AUDIBLE trial and cancel whenever you want!)
So, what are you reading this week? Have any suggestions for me?
Interested in more book? Then check out these posts:
Why I Read So Much & How You Can Read More, Too
What I’m Reading… Harry’s Trees
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