Purple Hibiscus is the story of a young Nigerian girl, fifteen year old
Kambili. The daughter of a very wealthy
man, she lives a life of privilege with her parents and her brother Jaja. Things are not always what they seem and behind
the closed doors of their home, Kambili lives a life of fear with her abusive fanatical
father. He is a “super” Catholic, but
has interpreted the tenants of his faith wrong and feels the need to punish his
wife and children to keep them on the right path.
Kambili and Jaja go to visit their Aunt Ifeoma and her children for the
first time and discover a very different world where you have to worry about
getting enough food to eat, gas for your vehicle, electricity, and water. Aunt Ifeoma is a University Professor, but the
growing unrest in the country and at her University have made times hard. As the country falls apart, so does Kambili’s
world. Will she be able to find
happiness?
Purple Hibiscus is the December pick for the FLICKS Book and Movie
club. Sadly my vehicle died the night of
book club and I was not able to make it.
I would have liked to go and discuss this book. I thought it was very interesting and gave me
hints of one of my favorite books, The Poisonwood Bible. I really liked that Kambili’s father was a
complex character. He wasn’t just an
abuser, he was a man trying to do the right thing on the national stage and
work against the dictator, but that was causing harm to his workers and
himself. He helped out a lot of people, but not his own
family. I also like the glimpse into
Aunt Ifeoma’s life as a university professor and also the dialogue about Catholicism
in the country versus those that follow the old religion. There was so much to discuss!
Overall, Purple Hibiscus was a fascinating look into politics and
religion in Nigeria and how it affected one girl’s life.
Book Source: The Kewaunee Public
Library
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