Half of a Yellow Sun

Article written by Joshua Ehiosun

C2 certified writer.

‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is a 2006 novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that tells the story of the Biafran War from the perspective of four people from different backgrounds. The novel features a British expatriate, a university professor, a house servant, and the daughter of a wealthy Igbo chief who struggles through the war and fights to survive.

Key Facts About Half of a Yellow Sun

• Nigerian civil war, a novel that made people understand the war from those at the center of the conflict.
• Publication Date: 2006.
• Literary Period: Contemporary.
• Point of View: Third-person point of view.
• Number of Pages: 448.
• Genre: Historical fiction.
• Setting: Nigeria, Nnsuka, Kano, Umuahia.
• Climax: The novel’s climax occurs when Ugwu tries to connect a cable and plug, then a bomb hit his location, killing Captain Ohaeto and injuring him.
• Protagonists: Odenigbo, Ugwu, Olanna, Richard.

Chimamanda Adichie and Half of A Yellow Sun

‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is Chimamanda’s second novel. Being an Igbo woman and a pro-supporter of the Biafran movement, Chimamanda showed how life was in Nigeria before, during, and after the civil war of 1967. With most of her books centered around the civil war, Chimamanda drew upon the stories of people who experienced the war first-hand. ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ was a massive success, and the book won numerous awards due to its realistic depiction of life during the war.

Books Related to Half of a Yellow Sun

Books related to ‘Half of a Yellow Sun‘ tell stories of how war and strife shape people’s lives. Here is a list of books related to ‘Half of a Yellow Sun.’

• ‘Homegoing‘ by Yaa Gyasi is a book that tells the story of two sisters Effia and Esi, born in two different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. While Effia is married to an English man and lives a comfortable lifestyle, Esi is sold as a slave and moves to America. The story progresses through time and shows what became of Esi’s descendants.
• ‘Girl, Woman, Other‘ by Bernadine Evaristo tells the story of 12 different characters who narrate the story of their lives, families, friendships, and lovers throughout the years.
• ‘Things Fall Apart‘ by Chinua Achebe is a book that tells the story of a man named Okonkwo, the wrestling champion in the fictional town of Umuofia. The novel tells the story of life before and during the colonialism of Nigeria.
• ‘The Vanishing Half‘ by Brit Bennett tells the story of two sisters who run away from their home, a small community, to lead different lives. Though their paths are separated, the sister’s fates are intertwined as their daughters’ life inevitably get entangled together.
• ‘Pinchiko‘ by Min Jin Lee tells the story of a teenage girl Sunja, whose father was a fisherman. After falling for a wealthy stranger, Sunja finds out she is pregnant. However, she discovers that her lover is already married and refuses to marry him. Instead, she marries a sickly minister on his way to Japan. Her decision eventually sets the stage for a saga that lasts for generations.

The Lasting Impact of Half of a Yellow Sun