Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Book Review

Title: Half of a Yellow Sun
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Publisher: Knopf/Anchor
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Year of Publication: 2007
Date of Publication: September 4, 2007
Pages: 560
ISBN-10: 1400095204
ISBN-13: 978-1400095209
Audiobook Narrator: Zainab Jah

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Half of a Yellow Sun is a book that is written with the timeline of events taking place during a civil war in Nigeria in 1967. The war, known as the Biafran War, affected the lives of the characters in the book in different ways. But this is not another historical war book but the story does unfold during this time.

The novel is about the lives of three characters: Odenigbo, Olanna and Ugwu. Odenigbo is a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The character Odenigbo is an intellectual who has a lot of somewhat controversial views on the political landscape. The book is also told from the perspective of his girlfriend Olanna, who is from a wealthy and influential family. Finally there is also the viewpoint of a boy named Ugwu, who serves as Odenigbho’s houseboy.

A large part of the book deals with how they handle personal issues and deal with the implication of political conflicts that arose in Nigeria. We also get to see how these conflicts and events shape their lives. It’s a novel about love, betrayal, survival in a time of political upheaval, human suffering, and the enduring quest for justice and dignity.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi

Writing Style

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s tells a love story but she incorporates some historical context in a way that is not too heavy or sensitive for readers. With that said, Adichie does give detailed descriptions that bring the Biafran War and its aftermath to life.

The author uses multiple perspective to give readers a clear idea of what each character is experiencing and their fear and concerns.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche_Book Cover

Impact of Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The novel won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007. Since then the award has been renamed the Women’s Price for Fiction. The book is often celebrated as a landmark work in contemporary African literature.

2013 was a great year for Half of a Yellow Sun as the book was made into a Hollywood film. You can imagine how wonderful that felt for those of us who love African literature. A huge success especially with Chiwetel Ejiofor playing the role of Odenigbo, Thandiwe Newton and John Boyega brilliantly played Olanna and Ugwu respectively.

What are your thoughts on this book? Have you had a chance to read it? Let us know in the comments!

Author

Nathaniel Adebayo

Nathaniel is a Media Content Specialist at Verayea, where he specializes in curating content and gathering data for the company’s extensive book library. He is also dedicated to writing insightful reviews, offering thoughtful perspectives on a range of media. His work ensures that Verayea’s library is comprehensive, well-organized, and informative, providing valuable resources for its audience.