Read this when
Half of a Yellow Sun
Your grandparents might not talk about the war. Adichie did. Half of a Yellow Sun is the conversation your family never had.
Who it's for
The novel follows three people, the houseboy Ugwu, Olanna and the Englishman Richard, from the hopeful early 1960s into the starvation and flight of the Biafran war, so the reader grows attached to them before the catastrophe arrives.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 2006 novel follows several characters in 1960s Nigeria: Ugwu, a teenage houseboy for the radical professor Odenigbo; Olanna, Odenigbo's partner, who has left her privileged life in Lagos; her sister Kainene; and Richard, an English writer.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. A 2013 film adaptation exists.
Before you start
Heads up: Gang rape and massacre.
Age: Ages 16+
We live, as we dream—alone.Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
