Half of a Yellow Sun Paperback – September 4, 2007

A stirring, heartbreaking account of the Nigerian Civil War, as seen through the eyes of three very different characters. The novel starts in the early sixties, not long after the end of British colonial rule, presenting a nation, Nigeria, that did not exist before the British invented it. As the British continue to meddle in the shadows, the disparate peoples of newly independent Nigeria are left to figure out how to coexist. We are introduced to this world by Ugwu, a village boy who has just landed a coveted position as a houseboy for a university professor, Odenigbo. Through the perspectives of Ugwu, Odenigbo’s lover Olanna, and British expat Richard, the story of the rise and horrific fall of the breakaway state of Biafra is told.Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie brings this terrible story to life in clear, powerful prose, and creates fully human characters, with all the flaws and internal inconsistencies inherent in the human condition. Ugwu is easy to sympathize with, though he never questions his position, and often has little sympathy for others. Expat Richard is a good man who desperately wants to be seen as different from the other white men in the country, but can not grasp the extent of his privilege. Odenigbo and his band of academics are full of revolutionary zeal, but steadfastly refuse to consider what consequences the realization of their ideals might bring. One of the things I really liked was the dichotomy between twin sisters Olanna and Kainene. Olanna is the more outwardly idealistic of the pair, the one who makes a show of eschewing her family’s status to move in with her academic lover, while fatalistic Kainene takes over aspects of the family’s sprawling business interests. When the war breaks out Olanna suffers much more than her sister, who rides out most of the conflict in relative comfort. But it’s Kainene who sees with clearer eyes and uses her privilege to render aid, while Olanna never manages to rid herself of her bourgeois haughtiness.This is a novel written by an Igbo author about Igbo characters, and the atrocities committed against the majority Igbo Biafrans by the Nigerians are well known and well documented, but Adichie here has the courage not to show the Igbo as entirely blameless. Biafra has its own corruption, and the Igbo commit their own atrocities born out of prejudice. We have a tendency to simplify historic wars, to gloss over complexities and hide from truths that don’t fit easily within the prevailing narrative. In Half of a Yellow Sun Adichie thankfully doesn’t do this.

This is quite a book and the last 100 pages or so, are a rough ride. The book is based, largely I believe, on real life characters and follows each of them through the war/massacre/mass starvation that became known as either the Nigerian Civil War, or the lost war for Biafran Independence in the years 1967-1970. What I liked about this book is that the characters are well developed and flawed; therefore, they are believable and you feel empathy for them, even when they act destructively.The writer's prose is simple and straightforward. It is not overly descriptive or flowery. So, in many ways, she is purposely a better story teller than she is a story writer. But that's okay. This is a page turner and a humane telling of a conflict lost to the blind ambitions of the Big Powers and the ego-maniacs that rule the world. The author does not spare her scorn for the Brits and the Americans and their cynical backing of a corrupt Nigerian government.In the end, I felt her main message was a simple yet profound message. No one wins in war. Even, the so called "winners" sacrifice their humanity and their ideals. So, in a strange way it made me reflect on America's present wars.In the end, does anyone really win?I don't give five star ratings unless a book is one of the best I've read in the past several years; but this book comes close. It's easily a 4. Okay, let's give it a 4.5. It's a perfect selection for a book club as much discussion could be made of the various characters and what they represent. But if you buy this book, stick with it for the first, fairly slow, 100 pages as it does build up a story foundation as it progresses to its relatively sad ending.I highly recommend this book.

I have been spending part of my summer reading Adichie books, and Half a Yellow Sun is one of them. Why I am reading Adichie? Because I like her writing style, I enjoy the stories she tells, and I think it is fascinating to read about a country from the perspective of a native of that country. Surely anyone can write about Nigeria, but having a Nigerian writer do so seems to add even more credibility.I enjoyed Half of a Yellow Sun because it talks about the Biafrian war from the insider perspective. Adichie had me feeling I was actually there as the war unfolded facing the difficult choices people in war torn countries must make. First, Adichie lets us know what life is like for academics living in a college town. There are days and nights of endless academic discussions, in homes with ‘help’ in the form on house boys from the bush with menus that are almost improbable. This life style is contrasted with Nigeria’s wealthy ‘Big Men’ and their families who have almost everything they desire: money, homes, food, the luxuries of travel; really all that money can bring. Will they stay in Nigeria, or will they flee the county until the unrest is over?More than about War, Half of a Yellow Sun is about people, and the choices they make or are forced to make. Standing up for your principles is not always easy and Half Yellow Sun brings this concept firmly into focus.Hal of a Yellow Sun is not easy beach reading. Rather it is food for the mind and soul. It is an exploration of values and an exploration of what true nationalism is about from several perspectives. I highly recommend it.When you finish reading, you will be enlightened. You will walk away with a great understanding of Nigeria, their civil war and the people who populate this fascinating country.