Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, ‘Purple Hibiscus’
Purple Hibiscus is a beautiful piece of storytelling. It narrates the life of a fifteen year-old Nigerian, Kambili, and from her view point it discusses issues such as religious intolerance, domestic violence, the impact of colonialism and the right to freedom of speech. However, it is the storytelling and not the issues that remains central to the novel.
The themes are tackled head-on but so delicately that it never feels like the intention is to teach or preach, but rather to make it easier to understand Kambili’s life. For example, we see Kambili’s father, a tyrannical, violent, fanatical Catholic, from the point of view of his adoring, unquestioning daughter. Thus a character on whom it may seem easy to pass judgement becomes far more complicated and obscure as his daughter tries to make sense of his behaviour. We see the consequences of a military coup, but only through the reverberations on Kambili’s life, so the politics are explored but without being intrusive. Purple Hibiscus is at once a light, engaging read, whilst also an unobtrusively provoking reflection on complex issues.
(R. Rickard Straus)
