Purple Hibiscus

Purple Hibiscus is the first novel by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It portrays Kambili Achike, a 15 year old Nigerian teenage girl who struggles in the shadow of her father, Eugene. Eugene is a successful businessman, a beloved philanthropist, and a devout Catholic, who nevertheless violently abuses his family. A post-colonial novel, it received positive reviews upon publication. The novel was published in the United States on 30 October 2003, by Algonquin Books. A year later, Fourth Estate published the book in the United Kingdom and in 2006, Kachifo Limited published it in Nigeria.

The novel is a coming-of-age story: the characters psychological and moral growth from childhood to adulthood changes, particularly Kambili and Jaja's tough life in Eugene's house and later, a free living in Aunty Ifeoma's house. After publication, it won several awards including the Orange Prize for Fiction shortlist in 2004 and Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in 2005. Adichie investigates the themes of family, womanhood, and religion. Her writing style, combined with her use of Igbo description to convey characterizations and action, demonstrates her as one of the third generation of Nigerian writers.