Blue Hibiscus was Chimamandas Debut, what followed has an even more intense quality. Anyone interested in African and expecially Nigerian present politics should read this book. Apart from that though it has a high entertaining quality. It even seems ironic to talk of entertaining because the theme is absolutely serious, the contents often devastating as was the war 1967-1970 between Biafra and Nigeria. What I mean here is the way she deals with the topic. She weaves real events into the story and the stories of her protagonists. The Ibo massacres of 1966 in the North of Nigeria, among other things triggered the war. Her protagonists are from all walks of life, househelpers, village people, traders, intellectuals. Once you have started with the novel, you are captivated and want to read on. Anyone familiar with Nigeria will enjoy the novel even more, because you see everything so vividly before you.
The incredible bravery of the then Biafrans, their slogan Even the grass will rise to fight, the unfaltering confidence into their leader Colonel Ojukwu, all is true and did happen. Some of her characters are modelled after famous Nigerians of the time. The gap between intellectualism and soldier mentality, the antagonism between them and the helplessness of the intellectuals before their cruelty is shown exquisitely. It is an important book enriching the line of novels about the terrible Biafra war. The novel has an emotional intensitiy which Chimamanda says is one of her creeds, when writing. She certainly has achieved this.