09.04.07
Purple Hibiscus
Hi guys! I thought I’d check in from my outpost in Texas with a pseudo-staff pick (that would be a pick by a pseudo-staff member). My new lifestyle taking care of mom gives me a little more time to read 
these days so I’ve been catching up on a few things. When Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie won the Orange Prize back in June, I decided to read her first book, Purple Hibiscus. The author is a Nigerian woman, which I think is cool all by itself, and the writing is first rate. It’s a coming of age novel about Kambili, a fifteen year old girl living in the restrictive world of her wealthy, strict, Catholic father. A trip to stay with her aunt opens a world of laughter and love for Kambili and her brother. While I didn’t think it was a perfect novel (the end left me a little flat), the characters are compelling and the easy way she incorporates details of setting and culture into the story gives a fascinating picture of Nigeria. If you’re interested in Africa, in women’s writing or in just good literature, give this one a try. By the way, don’t you think that it’s interesting how much good writing by women comes out of former colonies of the United Kingdom?
