My thoughts on HALF OF A YELLOW SUN

Hello my people, how have you been, great I guess? I know I have been MIA and I am so sorry about that. Like I said in my previous post, a lot has been happening and that's life, really. I have so many posts that I want to do, I will do them once things slow down. I just came here to quickly write on one of the books I read lately. I have read so many books in the last few weeks and I wish I could write my thoughts on all of them but you know, man na man. Anyway, here are some of my thoughts, what do you think?

What is the title of the book?

HALF OF A YELLOW SUN

Who is the author of the book?

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE

Did you love the book?

I loved the book and I still love it. I read it twice, may I mention that this is the only novel I have ever read two times, from start to finish. The book is amazing and it is EPIC!! No wonder it has been made into a movie and I cannot wait to see it!

Chimamanda is a gifted and exceptionally talented writer. I’m very sure that this has been said like a gazillion times but if I have to say it every time I make a post on her, then I will. I don’t even know how she was able to capture the events set two decades before she was born (How sure I'm I, right? Hahaha). I was riveted by every single page and line of this book, it is simply amazing.

What is the story about?

It is about the story of love, loyalty and survival during the Nigerian Civil War also known as the Biafra War which lasted for a period of about three years (1967-1970).

Who were the main characters?

The main characters (in my opinion) of the story were Olanna and Ugwu.

What is their story, did they have adventures?

Olanna had just come home from acquiring a master’s degree in Britain and decides to move to Nsukka, against her parents’ whish of course, to work as a lecturer. The lecturing job was just an excuse to live with her lover, Odenigbo whom she met in University of Ibadan. In terms of character, some words that come to mind when I think of Olanna are exceptionally beautiful, kindhearted, soft spoken, gentle, slim, light brown (skin color), intelligent, loving and insecure.

Ugwu is an Nsukka boy, Nwa Nsukka, who was sent to serve his master Odenigbo, in the University campus. This servant-master relationship gradually turns into something deeper, more like father-son relationship. Some words that come to mind when I think of this character Ugwu, are loyal, hardworking, kind, humble, ingenious, smart, dependable and intelligent.

Who was your favorite character in the story?

My favorite characters in the story were Ugwu and Kainene.

Ugwu, just because he is Ugwu. I just loved the guy, his character is indelible. I just love him.

I love Kainene because she has sharp edges, in the right places, if you know what I mean. With her, I sensed the assurance that the people around her had, a feeling that with Kainene, everything will always be alright and sorted.

What was your favorite part of the book?

Hmmm I have so many, lemme see, eeeehhh I guess it would be the chapter that revealed that Ugwu had not died in the battle field.

 I can clearly remember what happened the day I was reading that part of the book. I was in the room and my husband was working on his laptop in the sitting room, immediately I read a few lines about Ugwu and some sort of excruciating pain on his right buttocks, I ran to my husband, literally screaming at the top of my lungs “UGWU IS NOT DEAD, UGWU DID NOT DIE” I was elated, lol!!

If you could change the book, what would it be? 

Of course Kainene would never have gone to Afia Attack, simple.

Would you recommend this book to anybody?

Of course, I’ve recommended it to a lot of my friends, even though most of them had read it before me. But yeah, I’d recommend it to anyone who cared.

What type of person will like this book? 

Anybody interested in Nigerian history convolved with some love stories will definitely love this book.

What book are you going to read next? 

THERE WAS A COUNTRY by Chinua Achebe, I love that man, lol.