Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A bloody sun rising. 

About Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi: With her award-winning debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was heralded by the Washington Post Book World as the “21st century daughter” of Chinua Achebe. Now, in her masterly, haunting new novel, she recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra’s impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria during the 1960s. 

With effortless grace, celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria during the late 1960s. We experience this tumultuous decade alongside five unforgettable characters: Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy who works for Odenigbo, a university professor full of revolutionary zeal; Olanna, the professor’s beautiful young mistress who has abandoned her life in Lagos for a dusty town and her lover’s charm; and Richard, a shy young Englishman infatuated with Olanna’s willful twin sister Kainene. Half of a Yellow Sun is a tremendously evocative novel of the promise, hope, and disappointment of the Biafran war.

My two cents

When I saw this book's author and read the synopsis, I had a strange compulsion to turn the other way. The tough subject matter, and a time in history I know nothing about intimidated me. I even asked someone I knew what they thought of it - she said that it's one of those books you read but are glad it's over when you finish it. Did I want to be challenged? So much for me turning away; I decided to just go for it. The payoff did come, believe me, but not without feeling the horrors of war.

The story delves into the Biafran War, also known as the Nigerian Civil War. I confess to total ignorance and I had no idea whether Biafra was a country or a state so I ended up reading up on Wikipedia before diving into the book. Here's what I found out:

• Biafra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria and was in existence from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970
• Biafra is a secessionist state. "Secessionist" simply means that a group pulled out from a larger group. In this case, the Igbo people fought for secession from Nigeria because of the economic, cultural and religious tensions amongst the ethnic groups. 

The Biafran war is given a human face through several main characters: middle class academic Odenigbo and his lover-later-wife Olanna, the teenager Ugwu coming from an impoverished family and works for Odenigbo as a houseboy, socialite and businesswoman Kainene and her English lover Richard.

The substories are very different as they are told by different classes and even a foreigner is thrown in for good measure. Odenigbo is a professor at Nsukka University, a brilliant mind, a nationalist and revolutionary at heart. Olanna and Kainene are twin sisters from a politically powerful (and hence moneyed) family; while Olanna is known as the pretty and intellectual one, Kianene is the "ugly one" but a strong and savvy businesswoman. Richard is an Englishman who came to Nigeria to learn more and write about traditional pots that he is rather impassioned about. Lastly, Ugwu is a young teenage boy who finds himself in this circle of middle-class characters, and comes of age during this critical historical time.

Their lives play out flipping from present to past and back, a journey into these characters lives pre-war, war and post-war. You'll read the roles they play in inciting uprisings, the idealism, the passion. You'll find out how cultural differences among ethnic groups drive a wedge between people. You'll see how event the strongest people play each other for influence, and succumb to corruption as a means of survival. You'll see how expats view this melee and how some not only support but feel one with it.

Uh-ohs

One strange thing that the past-present story flipping does is that there are strange holes in the stories.  So scratch your head and wait because your patience will pay off.  The questions will  eventually get answered.

If you think you've read about war, don't bet on it. This is replete with graphic descriptions of violence, rape, brutality, extreme poverty and hunger. There is nothing pretty about war. No matter how much I read about war in general, I always feel slightly sick when reading about the pain, the sorrow and brutality it inflicts on people.

Verdict: This is a realistic portrayal of war set in Nigeria. Don't bring any preconceptions about Africa as stereotypes you may hold about African cultures and politics are unabashedly exposed. Be ready for a gutwrenchingly brutal story of what zealous patriotism can result in for a country and the lives of its peoples. The impacts are lasting and real despite this being a fictionalized retelling.

I am eager to continue challenging myself to read outside my comfort zone. While I cannot say that I "enjoyed" this in a traditional sense, I highly recommend this book and this author. It's an affecting story that sheds light on a critical historical period in the world. 

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan

If I say I am one of them, will I live?

Synopsis of Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan: Each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances.

A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday. A Rwandan girl relates her family's struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. A young brother and sister cope with their uncle's attempt to sell them into slavery. Aboard a bus filled with refugees—a microcosm of today's Africa—a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria. Through the eyes of childhood friends the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes viscerally clear.

Uwem Akpan's debut signals the arrival of a breathtakingly talented writer who gives a matter-of-fact reality to the most extreme circumstances in stories that are nothing short of transcendent.

My two cents

There are five short stories in all, each told from the viewpoint of a child, and take place somewhere in Africa.

An Ex-mas Feast: Jigana is eight and is crammed in a shanty in Nairobi, Kenya with Mama, Bapa, newly-born twins, and his older sister Maisha. It's Ex-mas and they still haven't eaten. When will Maisha come back with their meal for the day? Become privy to the day-to-day happenings of this poverty-stricken family: where a child's normal yet perennial hunger pangs are dulled by sniffing kabire (glue), where a barely-teen girl plies the streets prostituting herself of her family's basic necessities, where the prospect of joining a street gang is more realistic than studying.

Fattening for Gabon: Out of the fire into the frying pan: a horrifying unfolding of events where two young siblings, sent away by loving parents because of AIDs, are prepared by their Uncle to be sold into slavery. The Uncle is initially buoyed by the excitement of a new motorcycle and recognition in the community. His conscience slowly kicks in as he realizes the horror of his actions ... but is it too late to change his mind?

What Language is That? The shortest short story, two young girls who are best friends who live across the street from one another in Ethiopia. Caught in an age-old conflict, these girls don't quite understand why their parents are raising a fuss over their differences in religion: one family is Muslim, the other Christian.

Luxurious Hearses: This is more a novella than a short story, and I felt it was the highlight of the book. It is about a teen Muslim boy named Jubril who pretends to be Christian in order to flee the growing conflict of his hometown. The entire story takes place within a Luxurious Bus, crammed to the rafters with refugees from all walks of life, including their dead, traveling from the north to the safety of the south.

The enclosed space heightens the political and religious unrest across Africa: shown in the power struggle for seats, in heated discussions, of the horrors ongoing on the TV and outside the bus windows. As the drama plays out in the bus, Jubril has flashbacks into his precarious circumstances: born of a Christian-Muslim marriage, yet identifying with the Muslim faith. He bears the telltale mark of a thief in the Muslim tradition: an amputated hand, which Jubril tries to hide from other passengers. Will he make it safely back home?

My Parents' Bedroom: What secrets do their parents' bedroom hold? Young Monique is convinced there are ghosts. A tale of some of the most horrific incidents that took place during the Rwandan genocide, Monique recounts how she witnesses firsthand the Tutsi and Hutu conflict - in the community, and even within the family - all culminating in a shocking resolution.

What I liked:

I read this in way back in 2012. This book very much affected me the first time around and as with most books that I hold dear, I let this percolate and never got around to reviewing it. With my recent re-read, I still feel the same: it seems like an insult to even attempt to review it, to piece together words that I know are will never be enough to express how much this book meant to me.

This collection of short stories is written by a Jesuit priest named Uwem Akpan who was born and raised in Nigeria. He brings out in his calm words unspeakable horrors that the children of Africa face every day, at the hands of adults who are beset by the conflicts wrought by tribe, culture, politics, and religion.

The bottom line: this was very real for me. There is something very chilling about the author's prose and storytelling style; there is a an odd detachment from the terrible things being described.While everything is fictionalized, the characters and their voices evoke a startlingly horrific reality that it's almost too much to bear. All these beg the reader to understand just how depraved these stories are.

Uh-oh's:

I don't think this is going to be a read for everyone. Don't be fooled that these are told from a child's perspective. The stories all have a shock value and if you can't (or are unwilling) to read out of your comfort zone, you may find this disturbing with its graphic descriptions of violence, many of which are inflicted on your children. The fact that these are all rooted in reality makes these stories even moreso disturbing.

There are also sections that are difficult to read because of the lapses into "bad" English, various African dialects, and even some French.

Verdict: While graphic and disturbing, these stories told by children in a conflict-ridden Africa, is a brave voice that speaks of the inequities and the horrors that exist in the world. A short story collection that will challenge and provoke you, I recommend this highly for those who dare to be conscienticized. 

I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Love and loathe.

Synopsis of I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: Being the opara of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges--a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university. As first son, he has responsibilities, too. But times are bad in Nigeria, and life is hard. Unable to find work, Kingsley cannot take on the duty of training his younger siblings, nor can he provide his parents with financial peace in their retirement. And then there is Ola. Dear, sweet Ola, the sugar in Kingsley's tea. It does not seem to matter that he loves her deeply; he cannot afford her bride price.

For much of his young life, Kingsley believed that education was everything, that through wisdom, all things were possible. Now he worries that without a "long-leg"--someone who knows someone who can help him--his degrees will do nothing but adorn the walls of his parents' low-rent house. And when a tragedy befalls his family, Kingsley learns the hardest lesson of all: education may be the language of success in Nigeria, but it's money that does the talking.

My two cents

Set in Nigeria, this is a coming-of-age story of a young man who finds out, the hard way, that money can't buy everything.

Disillusioned that his education didn't assure him of a good job, and becoming increasingly desperate for money, Kingsley decides to sell out: he takes a "job" with his moneyed-yet-uneducated uncle -- his education becomes really handy in the elaborate and complicated business of scamming people through email. 

But you reap what you sow, as the adage goes. While Kingsley's success funds crucial moments in his and his family's life, Kingsley learns that his values and his integrity are all that really matter.

***

This novel has so many things going for it.

The most outstanding for me, despite its sordidness, is a peek into the internet scammers' world. While many will automatically judge this as plainly bad, the reasons for entering this "profession" are rife with poverty, hopes of a better life, and even of desperation. I was fascinated with the resourcefulness, the complexity, and just how 419 scam culture preys on human nature's goodness and psychology. Kingsley's education, people skills and plain hard work become critical skills in his success -- can you imagine if his skills were actually put to good use?

Another eye-opener was to Nigerian culture and way of life: the pressures on a first born, the high value put on education, the price of marrying, the sense of community to a fault. And the unjust yet real picture of the poverty of the majority while corruption happens (and even condoned) in the high places, where what matters to make even more money is who you rub shoulders with. 

Those who haven't lived in or been exposed to cultures where poverty is a given, this may seem a little shocking in places. It's what I liked about this novel -- it tells it like it is, with no romantic or cliched notions about it. Take for example the scene at the hospital where Kingsley and his family had to buy even the smallest medical supplies, instead of the hospital dispensing them. If this happened in the US or Canada, I am betting that people would be suing the hospital for all its worth. In Nigeria (and in many other parts of the the world), you suck it up and do the best you can -- people know that the problem is a given, sadly systemic, and that change is not apt to happen in the short haul.

While the fatalism stressed in this novel seems disheartening, it also plays a huge role in shaping people's attitudes.

Kingsley, and Nigeria as a country, is a bundle of contradictions -- good at the core but driven to desperate measures. Anyone who loves their country or a person but recognizes how wretched it/he is at the same time will love this book. Love and loathe all rolled into one.

Verdict: An eye-opener of a book about the moral dilemma of how poverty can drive people to a resourceful survival at the expense of integrity. While set in a Nigeria, readers will be able to relate to the timeless values of providing for and taking care of family, and the hope for a better life.

I highly recommend this to those interested in other cultures, who like to explore human dilemmas, and who are ready to see the world through another culture's eyes.

Thanks to Debbie of Ex Urbanis for this giveaway copy during the Literary Blog Hop Giveaway!