Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 'Half of a Yellow Sun'

Half of a Yellow Sun is a novel set in Nigeria in the 1960's. In the latter half of this decade, the Igbo people of Nigeria succeeded from the newly formed and post-British Nigerian union. The country they formed was named Biafra and the Biafran war that took place in the late 60's was a hard fought, brutal conflict.

This is not a "war novel" per se, however, as this is a character driven novel. Adichie drives home her much deeper convictions through her characters who are all flawed in at least one way. The war is vividly depicted in parts of this book, but it remains a background to the characters and the effects that the war has on their lifestyles and ideals.

Themes are abound in this novel and include:

-- The effect of Imperialism on Africa
-- The effect of war on the individual and society
-- Contrasts between western education and native education/tradition
-- Culture differences in Africa and constructed and misplaced boundaries

The list goes on, but it is suffice to say that this novel deals thoroughly with the themes that it presents. Metaphors abound in this novel and are essential to understanding the themes that Adichie presents to her readers. The characters themselves are metaphors for the larger events of the novel. Her imagery is brilliant, if at times too sexually charged. Overall, this is a great read for anyone, whether interested in the history of Biafra, or not. The character sketches and adventures are enough to carry you through the entire book, but don't lose sight of the war, because that is key to understanding the significance of this work.