Purple Hibiscus

     Author                    Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

     Genre                     Historical Fiction

     Country                  Nigeria

     Publication Date    October 2003

     Pages                      307






I have this amazing long distance book club with a group of really close college friends and last month was the month of "Purple Hibiscus"; Chimimanda's debut novel.

Set against the backdrop of Nigeria and its military coup, this book explores domestic violence, religion, the urge for freedom and independence and the coming of age of the young 15 year old narrator and protagonist: Kambili.

Kambili and her elder brother, Jaja live a life of utmost discipline and schedule under the strict supervision of their father; who is a highly respected Catholic leader. To the outside world, he is a great man who helps one and all, but for his family he is a strict disciplinarian who very often uses physical violence against his wife and children. In this environment, Kambili has never known freedom, laughter, fun or even the ability to think for herself and make her own decisions.

Life then takes a somersault when the two siblings go to live with their aunt, Aunty Ifeoma and their stay there gets extended due to the precarious military situation in  the country. The contrast in Aunty Ifeoma's home environment from that of her own; is best reflected through the following quotes by Kambili:

"I was just observing a table where you could say anything at any time to anyone, where the air was free for you to breathe as you wished."

"Laughter always rang in Aunty Ifeoma's house, and no matter where the laughter came from, it bounced around all the walls, all the rooms."

Experiencing a life of freedom for the first time, Kambili doesn't know how to behave and she struggles to find her words. Over a period of time, she and Jaja both build warm relationships with their Aunty and cousins and start experiencing a completely new life.

To my mind, some of the key themes of the book are religion and its mask under which "Papa" disciplines his children, the impact of family environment on one's upbringing and more specifically, the impact of domestic violence and the role not just of the perpetrator but also of those around him who allow this to continue. And while its easy to judge the behaviours of others from a distance, its important to note that Jaja and mother's silence did have a significant role in all of this. And what is impressive and worth a mention is the fact that both realised this to a certain extent.

"His eyes are too full of guilt to really see me, to see his reflection in my eyes, the reflection of my hero, the brother who tried always to protect me the best he could. He will never think that he did enough, and he will never understand that I do not think he should have done more."

Silence is also widely used in the book and at some places, it breaks my heart to observe silence where one would wish someone spoke up and spoke against Papa.

The ending of the book with the following quote symbolises the longing for freedom and independence in Papa's absence:

"We'll plant new orange trees in Abba when we come back, and Jaja will plant purple hibuscus, too, and I'll plant ixora so we can suck the juices of the flowers."

In summary, this is a real fast paced book with some great messages at both an intellectual and an emotional level. Chimimanda has done a great job with this, inspiring readers like us and inviting us into her Nigeria!