purple hibiscus review

The renowned Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie is the author of the widely critically acclaimed and praised novel, Purple Hibiscus. According to an interview conducted by CNN, she is said to be “bold, fearless and completely unapologetic” which is evidently reflected in her writing. The Enugu born author, grew up the fifth of six children in an Igbo family in the university town of Nsukka, with her family’s ancestral village being in Abba, Anambra. Adichie’s upbringing and lifestyle in terms of geographical location has a great influence in her writings as these three places; Abba, Nsukka and Enugu are all depicted in the novel Purple Hibiscus. Her Nigerian heritage and culture are extremely influential to her works as she once admitted in an interview with the BBC, that she loves Nigeria very deeply but is deeply disappointed and desperately wants to change it. She is also greatly influenced by the late Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe that captures the heart and soul of Africa and crafts it into a heart-grabbing novel. Being brought up in the university town of Nsukka, her writings approached race, gender and identity with a distinctly perceptive style. Her works are deeply connected to Nigeria, articulating different experiences and producing a complex impression of history, culture and violence. At the age of nineteen she moved to the United States for college. This transition and cultural shock impacted her writings as well. Her first book published in 2003, Purple Hibiscus, received worldwide critical acclaim and honor. Purple Hibiscus has won several awards like the Commonwealth Prize 2005: Best First Book (African and overall) and the Hurston- Wright Legacy Award 2004 (best debut fiction category) is among the many awards and nominations she received for Purple Hibiscus and her other works. Purple Hibiscus is a breathtaking, heartbreaking and captivating story. This story conveys the struggle and fight for freedom, courage and