Half of a Yellow Sun

When I started reading this book, I had absolutely no idea what it would be about. I had read all other books by Adichie and loved every single one of them, so I figured this would be no different. So when the symbol of the "half of a yellow sun" was finally mentioned in the book and revealed the central theme of the story, namely Biafra's war for independence, I was completely surprised and unprepared. The book covers two main timelines: the early sixties before the war and the late sixties when the war starts and ultimately ends. Each timeline manages to generate its own importance through the depth and personal struggles of the characters. And it is in part only because of the acute description of life before the war, that it becomes so painfully obvious what was and is lost during the war. Through her fantastic story-telling abilities, Adichie creates characters that resonate not only because they are likeable, but because they are inherently human. This book is brilliant from the very first to the very last page and will surely occupy my mind for a long time.

Die Sechziger Jahre in Nigeria - erlebt von zwei ungleichen Schwestern. In der Oberschicht behütet aufgewachsen, erleben sie den Biafra-Krieg und die Pogrome gegen ihre Volksgruppe. Die Liebe hält aber einiges aus, und die vielschichtigen Beziehungen zwischen Männern und Frauen, Kindern und Eltern sowie Hausangestellten und ihren Arbeitgebern machen den eigentlichen Reiz dieses Romans aus.