Review: ‘Purple Hibiscus’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I recently purchased a beautiful copy of this book from my local Waterstones store, and I thought I would write a review as ‘Purple Hibiscus’ was a fantastic read.

I don’t usually buy books without reading them first, but I’ve wanted to read some fiction by Adichie ever since I read and listened to her TED talk ‘We Should All be Feminists.’

As soon as I started reading this book I was desperate to finish it so I could write a review on it, and I was even making notes as I went, something which is uncommon for me!

‘Purple Hibiscus’ synopsis

‘Purple Hibiscus’ follows the story of Kambili, a 15-year-old girl living in Nigeria during the time of a military coup. It’s a dangerous time for the country, but her home life is equally as dangerous.

Despite her father being a wealthy humanitarian, he is abusive towards his family – using religion as a reason for beating and hurting his children and wife.

Early on in the book, Kambili’s mother miscarries as a result of her husband’s aggression, and his skewed view of religion makes it seem as though it is her fault.

He also beats his children when they don’t come first place in their class, and throughout the whole book, the family is forced to walk on eggshells when he is in the house.

During Christmas time, the family travels to Abba for the holidays, as is tradition. There, Kambili, and her brother Jaja, meet their Aunty Ifeoma and their cousins. Kambili’s father disapproves of his sister, as she is still in contact with their father.

Due to the fact that their father continues to practise in the traditional ‘pagan’ ways, and has not converted to Catholicism like him, Kambili’s father will have no contact with him.

After this visit, Kambili and her brother go to visit their Aunt, staying a little longer than planned due to a military coup in the country. There, Kambili and Jaja are opened up to what it is like to live in a loving household, and the book basically focuses on their realisation that not every family is as oppressive as theirs, and how religion and the patriarchy rule their lives.

The reader gets to follow their many adventures along the way.

My review of ‘Purple Hibiscus’

I really enjoyed this book, and I thought it was brilliantly written. This book was written honestly and brutally, really putting across the oppression faced by Kambili and the need for her to escape.

The fact that throughout the book she worshipped her father also showed the twisted kind of heroism he played in her life and the way that his oppressive religion was pushed onto her.

The view of religion in this book was really interesting. While under her father’s rule, religion is something oppressive, and God is a being to be feared, with many of Kambili’s punishments being because she has somehow transgressed against God.

Even when her mother miscarries a child, they pray for the mother’s forgiveness, rather than the father’s guilt for having caused the miscarriage through his violent behaviour.

Catholicism, the Church and religion are certainly viewed as something to be obeyed without question and are portrayed negatively.

I thought it was interesting that Adichie used how the father looked up to how ‘white people’ practised religion, clearly seeing much more faith in them than in his own Nigerian culture and traditions.

“”You are eating ten minutes before Mass? Ten minutes before Mass?”

“Her period started and she has cramps-” Mama said….

“Has the devil asked you all to go on errands for him?” The Igbo words burst out of Papa’s mouth. “Has the devil built a tent in my house?” He turned to Mama. “You sit there and watch her desecrate the Eucharistic fast, maka nnidi?”

He unbuckled his belt slowly.”

But when Kambili visits her Aunt, religion suddenly becomes something full of love, laughter, and song. She experiences a completely different religion, where Nigerian tradition is celebrated, and everyone has freedom of thought and speech. This is what religion should be about.

While both families practise Catholicism, the way Aunt Ifeoma expresses love and happiness is definitely the one the reader is drawn to.

Family in ‘Purple Hibiscus’

One thing I loved about this book was the representation of the two families. On the one hand, you have Kambili’s ‘home’ – full of oppression and grief, and ruled by an oppressive patriarch.

On the other, you have Aunt Ifeoma, who has so little money and double the number of children, but everyone feels loved and safe and happy, and she rules the house as the ultimate matriarch, using Father Amadi for support and help when she needs it.

Kambili and Jaja soon realise that money isn’t everything, and although Aunt Ifeoma often does not have enough money to buy fuel for her car, she never fails to make her children happy and to welcome Kambili and Jaja with open arms.

I absolutely loved Aunt Ifeoma and her children, Kambili’s cousins. They were funny, quirky, and wholesome. Amaka, the same age as Kambili, is wary of her at first, as she resents the money Kambili has, and the fact that they have so little.

But after a crisis which affects Kambili, and sends the children back to their Aunt once more, she soon sees Kambili as an equal, and they become friends.

“”I’m sure this is nothing close to the sound system in your room in Enugu,” Amaka said. She pointed at the player at the foot of the dresser. I wanted to tell her I did not have any kind of music system in my room back home.”

Aunt Ifeoma’s house is depicted in a beautiful way – small and cosy, warm and bright, happy and alive. While Kambili’s household has lots of rooms and a working toilet, Aunt Ifeoma has created a place that can actually be called home.

Nigeria in ‘Purple Hibiscus

The descriptions of Nigeria in this book are so beautiful, and I can’t get across just how much Adichie makes you feel as if you are also on the market with Jaja, in the small house of Aunt Ifeoma, or walking through her beautiful garden, where you can find the rare purple hibiscus.

The sounds, the smells, the people, and the atmosphere are depicted brilliantly, and Adichie manages to combine beautiful descriptions with a quick-paced and easy-to-read writing style.

While not a lot happens in the book in terms of plot, the way it moves is free and easy, and I was kept hooked until the last page.

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

The characters

I loved the characters in this book so much. For me, relatable, interesting and life-like characters are what make a book.

Kambili as a narrator was fantastic. She had the innocence of a child, mixed with the growing knowledge of a young woman. Throughout the book, she expresses her feelings, comes out of her shell and begins to realise certain things about her family.

While living with her Aunt, Kambili becomes much more outgoing. She is allowed to choose her own schedule for the first time, allowed to wear trousers instead of dresses, allowed to play football with the boys and allowed to help her Aunt do the cooking. I loved watching the progression of Kambili, and the way she began to open up.

I also really liked Kambili’s brother, Jaja. As soon as they move to the Aunt’s house, he begins to change, relishing the freedom to garden and to do things that are not scheduled by his father.

He really comes into his own, and as soon as he has been to his Aunt’s, he defies his father. It is clear that Kambili still feels loyal to her father, but Jaja begins to defy him, even refusing to go to Communion.

The character of Aunty Ifeoma was brilliant. She was loving and good, but also stressed, attempting to hold onto her position at the University in the face of the military coup.

She was a strong woman, and she fought to keep the same curriculum, to tell the truth, and to save Kambili and Jaja from their oppressive household, even though she clearly had no room, and no funds.

But as well as being a great woman, she was also real. She stood up for what she believed in, but she also considered the ‘coward’s’ way out. She welcomed the children, and yet she would have days where she would shout and cry and stress. This made her a real character, and one that filled the book with interest.

Kambili’s father is an age-old stereotype. Adichie used this character to perfectly show the problems with domestic abuse, and the inability of anyone to do anything about it. Kambili’s father is seen as brave, strong, important, wealthy and humanitarian.

He gives to the poor and donates to charities, and he supports his church wholeheartedly, and the people love him. And yet he beats and terrorises his family, showing how people are not all they seem, and how it was very difficult for Kambili’s mother to speak out against him – or to do anything about it.

“”I was reading somewhere that Amnesty World is giving your brother an award,” Father Amadi said. He was nodding slowly, admiringly, and I felt myself go warm all over with pride, with desire to be associated with Papa.”

My final thoughts on ‘Purple Hibiscus’

Overall I loved this book. It placed me in the centre of the Nigerian culture, and the children’s time at Aunt Ifeoma’s was great to read about. The ending was also really good and left me satisfied, and yet wanting more.

This book made me feel anger, pain, heartbreak and joy, and I hope you enjoy it if you give it a go. I really want to read more books set in Nigeria now – I might have to buy another of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s books.

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What do you think of my review of ‘Purple Hibiscus’? Have you read this book? Have you tried any of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s fiction?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

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