Half of a Yellow Sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Half of a Yellow Sun, winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction, is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s sweeping, emotionally charged novel set against the backdrop of the Nigerian–Biafran War (1967–1970). Through the intertwined lives of three unforgettable characters—Ugwu, a village boy turned houseboy; Olanna, a university lecturer from a wealthy family; and Richard, a British writer—Adichie paints a vivid portrait of a nation torn apart by war, colonial legacies, and ethnic divisions.

The novel’s title, drawn from the emblem of Biafra’s flag, symbolizes hope and the dream of independence. Adichie masterfully captures both the intimate human cost of war—love tested, families shattered, identities reshaped—and the larger political and historical forces at play.

With lyrical prose and unflinching realism, Half of a Yellow Sun blends personal narratives with historical truth, making it both a deeply moving love story and a powerful meditation on the price of freedom. It is essential reading for those interested in African history, postcolonial literature, and masterfully told human stories.