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Half of a Yellow Sun
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
With her award-winning debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was heralded by the Washington Post Book World as the 21st century daughter of Chinua Achebe. Now, in her masterly, haunting new novel, she recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafras impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria during the 1960s. With the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Adichie weaves together the lives of five characters caught up in the extraordinary tumult of the decade. Fifteen-year-old Ugwu is houseboy to Odenigbo, a university professor who sends him to school, and in whose living room Ugwu hears voices full of revolutionary zeal. Odenigbos beautiful mistress, Olanna, a sociology teacher, is running away from her parents world of wealth and excess; Kainene, her urbane twin, is taking over their fathers business; and Kainenes English lover, Richard, forms a bridge between their two worlds. As we follow these intertwined lives through a military coup, the Biafran secession and the subsequent war, Adichie brilliantly evokes the promise, and intimately, the devastating disappointments that marked this time and place.Epic, ambitious and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a more powerful, dramatic and intensely emotional picture of modern Africa than any we have had before.From the Hardcover edition.
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miriam.sanchez.gamero
Medio sol amarillo | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Nigeria, 1967. A civil war is coming since Nigeria does not want to be independent of Biafra.
The book explains how the life style is turning different due the survivor behavior, for a high quality family and how the have to try to survive . Diferent characters, quiete alternative thinkings, and how at the end everybody Wants to be free

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Vansa
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Old prompt but so much fun!
1.Olanna and Kainene,tagged book-Kainene because it would mean she survived,and how did both of them rebuild their lives.Richard in the Cazalet Chronicles.Kat in The Country Girls.
2.Have to be active!
3.around 50?!

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mackelie
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

A well written book as always! Chimamanda knows how to tell stories and this one is about the Biafran War that took place between 1967-70 in Nigeria. We follow the stories of Ugwu, Olanna and Richard before, during and briefly after the war.

I liked that it focused on the people and their lives rather than the war itself. Although, it has inevitably affected all the characters. Beautifully told and provoking emotions.

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Jari-chan
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

A soft pick since I barely made it through the first 3/4 of the book. In the beginning it was only about who's dating who, who gets pregnant etc. Things I do not care about at all.
Only when the war broke out, the book became intense. Then I couldn't stop listening. We who have never lived through a war are so lucky and should be thankful for that. I'm also thankful for people writing books about those topics, so we can relate at least a little.

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Jari-chan
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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After reading so many books set in Africa, I finally got around to make myself some Jollof rice. While listening to the audio book of Half Of A Yellow Sun I suddenly thought “I want to make that now!“

Well, I might make it again, since it's yummy! Maybe the time I'll be visiting an African country and they're making Jollof rice, I'll join in :)

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TheEllieMo
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookADay2023

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sprainedbrain
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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#ManicMonday #LetterH

📖 tagged, Harry Potter (any/all), The Highland Witch

✍️ Thomas Hardy, Kristin Hannah, Alice Hoffman

🎥 The Hangover (it‘s ok, you can judge me)

🎤 Harry Styles, Hozier, Hanson

🎶 Hail to the King (A7X), Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley), Handle with Care (Traveling Wilburies), Hard Road (Johnny Flynn), Headfirst for Halos (MCR), Here With Me (The Killers), Hey Jude (The Beatles), Hotel Yorba (White Stripes), Hurt (Johnny Cash)

sprainedbrain Let the record show… I could have gone on with songs for quite a while, but I ran out of characters. 😂 2y
vivastory I literally ended at just the right amount of characters 😂 2y
sprainedbrain @vivastory I had to delete a few. 😅 2y
See All 10 Comments
CBee LOVE all your song choices ♥️♥️♥️ 2y
sprainedbrain @CBee just like I always love yours! Great minds (or ears) and all of that. 😂 2y
RaeLovesToRead The Hangover is a great film! 2y
CBee @sprainedbrain aw thanks! Yep! Great ears ummmm, hear alike 😂😂😂 2y
bio_chem06 Just saw Hanson in concert for the third time and they never disappoint! 2y
sprainedbrain @bio_chem06 I really need to see them live sometime! 2y
48 likes10 comments
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Onioons
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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“Red was the blood of the siblings massacred in the North, black was for mourning them, green was for the prosperity Biafra would have, and, finally, the half of a yellow sun stood for the glorious future.”
#alphabetgame #letterH @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 2y
30 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Rachiiebookdragon
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Pickpick

I listened to the audiobook of this one via my library app.

It is an intriguing book.

3.5/5

Read for prompts:

#TheNerdDaily2022ReadingChallenge2022
#ReadHarder2022
#PopSugarReadingChallenge2022

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Booksandtea23
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Booksandtea23
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“She was like the stone that lay below a gushing spring, rubbed smooth by years and years of sparkling water, and looking at her was similar to finding the stone, knowing that there were so few like it. “

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jenniferw88
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick
squirrelbrain That‘s a lot of challenges! 2y
Librarybelle Woohoo! Lots of challenge prompts met for this one! 2y
Cortg Well played! The politics in this book were hard for me but I loved the story! 2y
See All 7 Comments
alisiakae This was the first book I ever read by Adichie and is still one of my favorites! Great job checking off prompts! 2y
JGadz11 What app is this?? I need it, stat. 2y
jenniferw88 @JGadz11 Storygraph 2y
Cinfhen I missed this!!! Way to go 💕💕💕 2y
55 likes7 comments
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Booksandtea23
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Borrowed this from my sister excited to divd into this one ⛅️

StaceGhost This book broke my heart ♥️ so good 2y
Booksandtea23 @StaceGhost so I‘m doing a little background research about the Nigerian Civil War before I start the book to get some background and it‘s so heartbreaking 💔 2y
StaceGhost @Anya09 that‘s wise! at least you‘ll be prepared. I went in knowing relatively little. I‘m so glad this story exists 2y
Booksandtea23 @StaceGhost same here it is one that I think teaches you about a very important time in African history as well as change many peoples perspectives. (edited) 2y
11 likes4 comments
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ImperfectCJ
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Mehso-so

This is a stirring look at how individual lives shape and are shaped by national events and at what the terms "military coup" and "civil war" mean in everyday life, but I'm afraid that everything that's happened since 2016 has left me leery of reading about government instability and the tyranny of the masses. I'm glad to have learned about this period in history, though, and about how the US in the 60s looked to other parts of the world.

ImperfectCJ And yes, I know this novel is about Nigeria and the short-lived country of Biafra, not the US, but I really appreciated how Adichie put the situation in Nigeria in context for me as a United Statesian by pointing out how chaotic and violent the US looked to those outside at this time. 2y
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ImperfectCJ
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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💠 Done
💠 Audiobook that I started on a run. It's not necessarily well-suited for that purpose.
💠 I really couldn't say. It's just kind of in the buildup right now.
💠 If I own a book, I will sometimes use a pencil to underline or mark a passage with a star then take notes in a separate notebook. Mostly I don't mark them, though, unless it's for #lmpbc :-)

#ThoughtfulThursday @MoonWitch94

Want to play? @phantomx @Jadams1776 @allureofbeauty

MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing ☺️📚 2y
35 likes1 comment
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Tianarose
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Really enjoying this story. And Chimamanda is a brilliant Writer.

StaceGhost This book broke my heart and I loved it 2y
Tianarose @StaceGhost yup, I am in the heartbreak right now. 2y
BiblioLitten This was the first book I read by the author and I have loved her work since then💙 2y
Tianarose @BiblioLitten she is truly a gifted author! 2y
45 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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SweetP1967
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

I didn‘t want to finish this book...it was so good. The characters felt real, with enough to cover different perspectives without being overwhelming.

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WorldsOkayestStepMom
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

I loved the characters and was invested in what happened to them! The plot sometimes moved slowly, but I didn't find it unbearable and I learned about a civil war I had no previous knowledge of. I will also add that my version (Kindle) could have used some editing and that was a tad bit distracting to me.

Soubhiville I‘m not sure why I haven‘t read this yet, I love her style. I‘m glad you liked it! 2y
40 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Cinfhen
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Today was my first day volunteering at the charity bookshop 🤓I had to bring something home!!! This would work for both #ReadingAfrica22 & #Booked2022 #AfricanAuthor #WeatherTermInBookTitle #SharingIdeas 🥳

Lindy Excellent pick! 2y
Cinfhen Thanks @Lindy it‘s been on my TBR forever!!! 2y
StaceGhost I love this book and also it completely broke my heart (edited) 2y
See All 17 Comments
DivineDiana Cheers to your new gig! As I volunteer at the Library‘s bookshop, I know you will love the experience! 👏🏻📚😘 2y
Cinfhen Thanks friend xxx it was a quiet morning but still delightful @DivineDiana 😘 2y
Cinfhen I‘m looking forward @StaceGhost 2y
TrishB That sounds fun! And has good perks. 2y
Cinfhen It‘s a good fit @TrishB and it‘s only from 9:30am until 13:00 2y
hissingpotatoes Love this book! 2y
Reggie How exciting! 2y
TheKidUpstairs Such a good read. Hope you continue to enjoy the new gig! 2y
Cinfhen Thanks for the words of encouragement @hissingpotatoes @Reggie @TheKidUpstairs I have a feeling I‘ll be bring home a lot more books, but that‘s ok 😊🎊❣️ 2y
BarbaraBB And it‘s a good one! How was your day?? 2y
Megabooks Enjoy! I‘m so glad you‘re doing that. Can‘t wait to hear more! 2y
Cinfhen I owe you both an email 📧 @BarbaraBB @Megabooks 💋 2y
Crazeedi Sounds like a perfect place to volunteer 📚 2y
Cinfhen It really is @Crazeedi 💚 2y
73 likes17 comments
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hissingpotatoes
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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So believe it or not I haven't actually seen Casablanca (*ducks tomatoes*), but based on what I know of it, I would recommend Half of a Yellow Sun. Both are stories with unforgettable characters, deal directly with the effects of war, and have a little bit of romance.

#Movie2BookRecs Oct 21 #LetterC day 10: Casablanca @Klou

Klou Perfect!! I haven't seen it either 🙈 2y
18 likes1 comment
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readingjedi
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Mehso-so

Wasn't a huge fan of Americanah - I thought it was po-faced & boring. I felt pretty much the same about this one. I just don't click with Adichie's writing - I find it joyless & barren of hope. Her characters are unlikeable & her plots are dull - I wish I'd spent the time reading a history of Biafra instead. While this is important as a narrative of events & experiences many know nothing about, as a story I was disengaged & disappointed.

Daisey This is disappointing because I also was not particularly a fan of Americanah and was hoping to enjoy this one more. 3y
62 likes1 stack add1 comment
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readingjedi
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Oh my days, this thing is taking some reading! I am utterly determined to finish the thing TONIGHT and I don't care if I'm up till 4a.m. doing it!

Really not sure how I feel about it either...review to follow. If I ever finish it!

I WILL FINISH IT! TONIGHT!

DivineDiana You will! 👍🏻 3y
readingjedi @DivineDiana I did! 🥳 3y
DivineDiana 🎉👏🏻👍🏻 3y
70 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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readingjedi
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Trying this one next. I didn't enjoy Americanah very much so I'm not sure how I'll go with this one.

hissingpotatoes I also didn't enjoy Americanah much but I really liked Half of a Yellow Sun! 3y
80 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
thevagabondlawyer
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Mehso-so

Recording the history of her country, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie created a civil war story packed with gory details, intricate characters, unsavory circumstances, malnourised refugees, complicated romance. In short, Half of a Yellow Sun was a portraiture of human emotions as a cost of war. While it started really engaging and promising, I felt detached towards 👇

thevagabondlawyer the middle up to end. I thought this book could have been shorter and less dense. I didn't care enough for the characters. They became tedious and dull to follow through. But I was glad to know that part of history of Nigeria and Biafra, if only to have a better understanding of where these people were coming from with their struggles and actions. 👏📚 3y
47 likes1 comment
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Deblovestoread
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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#CuriousCovers Day 6 #Yellow Another book on the paperback TBR. I loved Americanah by Adichie.

Eggs Pretty 💛🌞🧡🌼💛 3y
48 likes1 comment
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audraelizabeth
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Mehso-so

Out of my comfort zone but i did enjoy it. It was a little hard for me to keep the characters straight on audio. I did enjoy learning about a country's history that wasnt covered in my education.

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MelKelsey
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

Book 35 Set during a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s, Half a Yellow Sun is told from the perspective of three unique characters, a low-class servant boy, a woman from a high-class Nigerian family, and a British expatriate living in Nigeria. Well-written, with highly-developed characters, and an exciting setting in Nigerian history, it's a novel worth reading. Some characters are more interesting than others, but a solid four stars.

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cslavick1221
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Pickpick

A visceral tribute to the millions of lives lost as a consequence of colonialism. The history of a 1960‘s war that should have been included in my elementary school education.

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anushareflects
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

I am a bit torn on how I felt about this one, I enjoyed listening to it. I really love Chimamanda Adichie‘s writing. The descriptions of the characters and the scenes were fantastic. The atmosphere of a war was delivered. But I still didn‘t *love* the book. Maybe I‘m comparing it to Purple Hibiscus in terms of her writing but I didn‘t think this was worth the hype. I definitely do think it‘s a good read though! Full review on my blog (link in bio)

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MicheleinPhilly
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

A much more successful book club read though very heavy for the month we‘ve just had in the U.S. More than a little disconcerting to read about civil war and a coup when...well you know. Still, Adichie‘s writing is so skillful it transports you completely to Nigeria. And all of the central characters are so richly developed. 4⭐️

TheBookStacker I love her writing so much. Americanah is one of my top 10 favorite books. 3y
MicheleinPhilly @TheBookStacker It‘s been an age since I‘ve read it but it‘s one of my favorites too. 3y
BarbaraBB @TheBookStacker @MicheleinPhilly Mine too! Someone on Litsy said me this one is even better: 3y
MicheleinPhilly @BarbaraBB Looks like I already stacked it, who knows when. ☺️ #storyofmylife 3y
69 likes1 stack add4 comments
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k8makesart
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Pickpick

Beautiful and heartbreaking. Exactly how I like to learn my history.

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MicheleinPhilly
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Spent the morning in quiet reflection of this day and then dove into my local indie‘s book club pick for the month.

Amiable I love everything Adichie writes —she‘s so amazing. 3y
Reviewsbylola I haven‘t read this one yet but I loved Americanah. 3y
MicheleinPhilly @Reviewsbylola I‘m enjoying it thoroughly but it is HEAVY. Also been slammed with work so it‘s been slow going. I‘m hoping to spend a good chunk of time with it this weekend. 3y
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Canadian.Reads
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

Immediately captivating. Heartbreaking with the promise, hope and devastation of the war between Nigeria and the independent republic of Biafra in the late 1960s. For me, it was a book that I couldn't stop thinking about after putting it down for the day. I want to learn more about this time period in Nigeria, and to read everything Adichie has written. I loved Americanah as well. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

#booked2021 Author's first name starts with A,B, or C

20 likes2 stack adds
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k8makesart
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

'You must never behave as if your life belongs to a man. Do you hear me?' Aunty Ifeka said. 'Your life belongs to you and you alone, soso gi (only you).'

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vivastory
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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I meant to post about this last week. This is fantastic news. Half of a Yellow Sun is one of my favorite books I've read the past few years.

cariashley I really need to move this up on my TBR. 3y
vivastory @cariashley It's one that I think about frequently 3y
Vee_Bookish Isn't she horrifically transphobic though 3y
Vansa @Vee_Bookish no, she isn't. 3y
Vee_Bookish I checked Twitter, yes, she is. 3y
74 likes5 stack adds5 comments
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TheBookHippie
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Scochrane26 I love her. 4y
staci.reads Me too! 4y
46 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Cortg
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

1. I loved this book!
2. I didn‘t realize how long and complicated it is (both characters and politics!)
3. I had to do some googling to get a better understanding of Nigeria!
4. I‘m so glad I finally tackled it!

Jinjer A favorite of mine!!!! The movie is really good too! 4y
Cortg @Jinjer I had no idea there was a movie! I‘ll have to check it out! Thanks 😊 4y
46 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MallenNC
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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I forgot to post this yesterday for #AugustAuthors. I enjoyed Americanah and these two are on my TBR. (Why isn‘t the cover of Purple Hibiscus purple, though?)

OriginalCyn620 You‘d think it would be! 🤔 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks That is odd!! 4y
29 likes2 comments
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EadieB
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Day 19 - #ChimamandaNgoziAdichie #AugustAuthors
#HalfAYellowSun

I read the tagged book in 2015.

41 likes2 comments
review
Anchobi413
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

A dense reading that took about a month for me to read. I felt I always had to be in a certain mood to really use my imagination to visualize the scenery and each characters. Learned a lot and my heart feels thicker.

9 likes1 stack add
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saritaroth
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Mehso-so

This book is very intriguing and heartbreaking. It is usually not the type of fare that I read, but it did keep my interest. The book centers around the struggles that the Biafran people have to endure in the war against the Nigerians from 1967 to 1970. 🌟🌟🌟

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charl08
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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I found these duplicates when sorting out my books. (I knew I had the Adichie x3 - that's another story).

If you want one, and you're in the UK please shout. They're all second hand copies (I am a charity shop fiend).

LapReader I‘ve been sorting my shelves and found triple that amount! I‘m a worry. 4y
charl08 @LapReader The flip side is books I thought I had, but don't seem to own anymore! 🤷‍♀️ 4y
47 likes2 comments