Purple Hibiscus (Collins Readers) (The Perennial Collection)

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

4.67 of 5 stars 3 ratings • 1 review • 13 shelved
Book cover for Purple Hibiscus
Shelve It

Bookhype may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.

Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book • The extraordinary debut novel from the Women's Prize-winning and global bestselling author of Dream Count, Americanah, and We Should All Be Feminists

Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life in Enugu, Nigeria. They live in a beautiful house, with a caring family, and attend an exclusive missionary school. They're completely shielded from the troubles of the world. Yet, as Kambili reveals in her tender-voiced account, things are less perfect than they appear. Although her Papa is generous and well respected, he is fanatically religious and tyrannical at home—a home that is silent and suffocating.

As the country begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili and Jaja are sent to their aunt, a university professor outside the city, where they discover a life beyond the confines of their father’s authority. Books cram the shelves, curry and nutmeg permeate the air, and their cousins’ laughter rings throughout the house. When they return home, tensions within the family escalate, and Kambili must find the strength to keep her loved ones together.

Purple Hibiscus is an exquisite novel about the emotional turmoil of adolescence, the powerful bonds of family, and the bright promise of freedom.

“Breathtaking” —The Washington Post
“Remarkably original. . . . At once seductive, tender and true." —The Times
  • ISBN10 0345807529
  • ISBN13 9780345807526
  • Publish Date 26 March 2013 (first published 30 October 2003)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country CA
  • Imprint Vintage Canada