Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

It’s hard to keep up with the literary talent coming out of Nigeria these days. Among the 99 books from 54 African countries that I cover in my own book, A Basket of Leaves, Nigeria is represented by nine books, more than any other country:

· Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
· The Slave Girl by Buchi Emecheta
· The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola
· Aké: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka
· Efuru by Flora Nwapa
· Jagua Nana by Cyprian Ekwensi
· Stars of the New Curfew by Ben Okri
· GraceLand by Chris Abani
· Waiting for an Angel by Helon Habila

I had read Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda (who seems to be known by her first name) before I finished my book, but reluctantly decided not to include it. It was a fine domestic drama, but didn’t seem to shed much light on the life and culture of Nigeria.

The same can’t be said of Half of a Yellow Sun, which traces the impact of the Biafran war on twin sisters and their families. This is a quietly devastating story, told in assured, flowing prose that rarely draws attention to itself. It ends not with a bang, but with a haunting absence.