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Purple Hibiscus

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About this listen

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a 2003 O Henry Prize winner, and was shortlisted for the 2002 Caine Prize for African Writing and the 2004 Orange Prize. In Purple Hibiscus, she recounts the story of a young Nigerian girl searching for freedom. Although her father is greatly respected within their community, 15-year-old Kambili knows a frighteningly strict and abusive side to this man. In many ways, she and her family lead a privileged life, but Kambili and her brother, Jaja, are often punished for failing to meet their father’s expectations. After visiting her aunt and cousins, Kambili dreams of being part of a loving family. But a military coup brings new tension to Nigeria and her home, and Kambili wonders if her dreams will ever be fulfilled. Adichie’s striking and poetic language reveals a land and a family full of strife, but fighting to survive. A rich narration by South African native Lisette Lecat perfectly complements this inspiring tale.

©2003 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC
Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Africa Dream Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

"One of the best novels to come out of Africa in years." ( The Baltimore Sun)
“Prose as lush as the Nigerian landscape that it powerfully evokes. . . . Adichie's understanding of a young girl's heart is so acute that her story ultimately rises above its setting and makes her little part of Nigeria seem as close and vivid as Eudora Welty's Mississippi.” ( The Boston Globe)
"A sensitive and touching story of a child exposed too early to religious intolerance and the uglier side of the Nigerian state." (J. M. Coetzee)
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The book is amazing but the narrator didn’t do it justice. Her voice was annoying and you could hear her swallows and stuff in the background. I wish it had been read by someone else.

Narrator

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Great story but why use a posh white woman to narrate. Way too much saliva sounds from narrator and she was quite slow even on the same sentence.

white narrator?

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I do not think the narrator was right for the character.she should have had a Nigerian accent to make it more authentic.

wrong choice of narrator

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Great story, well written, very interesting in all aspects, well read... I highly recommend this book !

Excellent on all accounts

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well written but very sad. but couldnt put it down until finished. worth reading, for historical perspective

heartbreaking

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