Half A Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This was a book that a friend had recommended to me as well as it was on my 1% Well Read Challenge list. They had it at the university library where my husband works so I picked it up and gave it a read. The book was a bit confusing at first because I didn't really know what it was about and it took me a few chapters to even realize what country the book took place in. The novel is about a group of people in Nigeria\Biafra during the late 1960's when the civil was was taking place. The book starts with Ugwu, a young boy who is sent from his village to work for Master (Odenigbo), who is an academic who has socialist leanings. From this relationshıp we learn about Olanna and Kainene, wealthy Igbo twin sisters who are very different. Olanna lives with Odenigbo, while Kainene has a relationship with Richard, a white British man in Nigeria to write a novel. All these people's lives come together, especially after the Biafran war begins.

What I liked about the book was that each chapter was narrated by a different character. This way we got a different perspective on what was going on. There were a few bloody and horrifying parts of this book. I had to put it down a few times and really think. I am a bit ashamed to admit that I never really heard about this war before I opened "Half A Yellow Sun". It made me realize that I need to start reading more non-fictıon and really educate myself on other parts of the world. It also astounds me that the author was only 27 years old when she wrote this novel - my age right now. I could only dream of writing such a powerful novel!

I also learned that the title of the book comes from the Biafran flag which has half a yellow sun on it. I would recommend this novel to everyone.