Half of a Yellow Sun

Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, 2006 Date Read: 7/25/22

The first thing I did after reading this was text my sisters that I love them.

It dragged a bit in the beginning, and I'm not a fan of how the narrative is not linear. But other than that, it was a fantastic and gut-wrenching novel.

I knew of the Biafrian-Nigerian war but only in passing. It happened well before I was even born. Now I know way more about it than I ever wanted to know.

I think this should be included in required reading lists for history classes.

Although the story is based in a war, and war is the setting and motivation for much of what happens, the novel itself is actually about love. It is Olanna's love for her sister, for her boyfriend, for Ugwu the houseboy/practically adopted son. She loves Obdinego so much she takes the child he spawned on a housemaid as her own daughter.

She also, as so many of us women do, hurt herself when she suffered at the hands of others. When Obdinego's infidelity hurts her, she hurts herself and her sister by fucking her sister's boyfriend, Richard.

Throughout the war, she grows as a person. They all do, all of the characters. Ugwu also grows from a young boy fresh from his village, to a wounded soldier with guilt on his heart. He's forced to rape a barmaid and struggles with his own self-hate.

All in all, war sucks bad. I still feel like every politician who supports or votes for a war should be forced to fight on the front lines.

Length: 534 pages in hardback

ReReadability: it was rough but I do plan to watch the movie

Classic: YES and people should have to read it to see what war is really like. It isn't cameos and heroism. It's shit and starvation