Reviews
"Profoundly gripping. . .When the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria seceded in 1967 to form the independent nation of Biafra, a bloody, crippling civil war followed. That period in African history is captured with haunting intimacy in this artful page-turner from Nigerian novelist Adichie. . . .Tumultuous politics power the plot, and several sections are harrowing. But this dramatic, intelligent epic has its lush and sultry side as well. This is a transcendent novel of many descriptive triumphs, most notably its depiction of the impact of war's brutalities on peasants and intellectuals alike. It's a searing history lesson in fictional form, intensely evocative and immensely absorbing." -"Publishers Weekly "(starred review) "We do not usually associate wisdom with beginners, but here is a new writer endowed with the gift of ancient storytellers. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie knows what is at stake, and what to do about it. Her experimentation with the dual mandate of English and Igbo in perennial discourse is a case in point. Timid and less competent writers would avoid the complication altogether, but Adichie embraces it because her story needs it. She is fearless, or she would not have taken on the intimidating horror of Nigeria's civil war. Adichie came almost fully made." -Chinua Achebe Praise for "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Purple Hibiscus": "The secret of Adichie's style is simplicity, rhythm and balance. She writes a poet's sentences." -"London Review of Books" "A sensitive and touching story of a child exposed too early to religious intolerance and the uglier side of the Nigerian state." -J. M. Coetzee, "A gorgeous, pitiless account of love, violence and betrayal during the Biafran war." -- Time "Instantly enthralling. . . . Vivid. . . . Powerful . . . A story whose characters live in a changing wartime atmosphere, doing their best to keep that atmosphere at bay." -- The New York Times "Ingenious. . . . [With] searching insight, compassion and an unexpected yet utterly appropriate touch of wit, Adichie has created an extraordinary book." -- Los Angeles Times "Brilliant. . . . Adichie entwines love and politics to a degree rarely achieved by novelists. . . . That is what great fiction does-it simultaneously devours and ennobles, and in its freely acknowledged invention comes to be truer than the facts upon which it is built." -- Elle, "A gorgeous, pitiless account of love, violence and betrayal during the Biafran war." - Time "Instantly enthralling. . . . Vivid. . . . Powerful . . . A story whose characters live in a changing wartime atmosphere, doing their best to keep that atmosphere at bay."- The New York Times "Ingenious. . . . [With] searching insight, compassion and an unexpected yet utterly appropriate touch of wit, Adichie has created an extraordinary book." - Los Angeles Times "Brilliant. . . . Adichie entwines love and politics to a degree rarely achieved by novelists. . . . That is what great fiction doesit simultaneously devours and ennobles, and in its freely acknowledged invention comes to be truer than the facts upon which it is built." - Elle, "A gorgeous, pitiless account of love, violence and betrayal during the Biafran war." - Time "Instantly enthralling. . . . Vivid. . . . Powerful . . . A story whose characters live in a changing wartime atmosphere, doing their best to keep that atmosphere at bay." - The New York Times "Ingenious. . . . [With] searching insight, compassion and an unexpected yet utterly appropriate touch of wit, Adichie has created an extraordinary book." - Los Angeles Times "Brilliant. . . . Adichie entwines love and politics to a degree rarely achieved by novelists. . . . That is what great fiction doesit simultaneously devours and ennobles, and in its freely acknowledged invention comes to be truer than the facts upon which it is built." - Elle, "A gorgeous, pitiless account of love, violence and betrayal during the Biafran war." -Time "Instantly enthralling. . . . Vivid. . . . Powerful . . . A story whose characters live in a changing wartime atmosphere, doing their best to keep that atmosphere at bay." -The New York Times "Ingenious. . . . [With] searching insight, compassion and an unexpected yet utterly appropriate touch of wit, Adichie has created an extraordinary book." -Los Angeles Times "Brilliant. . . . Adichie entwines love and politics to a degree rarely achieved by novelists. . . . That is what great fiction doesit simultaneously devours and ennobles, and in its freely acknowledged invention comes to be truer than the facts upon which it is built." -Elle, Praise for "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Purple Hibiscus": "The secret of Adichie's style is simplicity, rhythm and balance. She writes a poet's sentences." -"London Review of Books" "A sensitive and touching story of a child exposed too early to religious intolerance and the uglier side of the Nigerian state." -J. M. Coetzee, A New York Times Notable Book and a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist "A gorgeous, pitiless account of love, violence and betrayal during the Biafran war." -- Time "Instantly enthralling. . . . Vivid. . . . Powerful . . . A story whose characters live in a changing wartime atmosphere, doing their best to keep that atmosphere at bay." -- The New York Times "Ingenious. . . . [With] searching insight, compassion and an unexpected yet utterly appropriate touch of wit, Adichie has created an extraordinary book." -- Los Angeles Times "Brilliant. . . . Adichie entwines love and politics to a degree rarely achieved by novelists. . . . That is what great fiction does-it simultaneously devours and ennobles, and in its freely acknowledged invention comes to be truer than the facts upon which it is built." -- Elle
