In chimamanda's Purple Hibiscus, the story is set in an African country, Nigeria and told through the lens of a main character, Kambili, the only girl of two children who were raised in a typical rich Catholic family.
Kambili and her brother, Jaja are raised by a father who was generous and politically active in the community but meanwhile very strict, even fanatically religious at home and a mother that portrayed the typical timid, overly submissive character of the wife of a rich African man.
The story is divided into four parts: The first three parts are written in the past tense while the final part, is narrated in the present tense.
Kambili is portrayed as a sweet, naive and innocent blooming young girl that is confined to the high walls of her father's house, school and church with literally no knowledge of the adventures of the outside world.
Jaja, Kambili's brother is seen to be the much bolder one and is the one that would later stand up to his father but that was after years of him doing every bid and will of his strict and overly religious father.
The story begins with the past, with Jaja being severely punished for missing the Sunday mass, showing the strictness of the father, Eugene.
Eugene also forbids the children from overstaying in their grandfather's house(his own father) because he labelled him a heathen.
The story incorporates the break out of a civil war in the country, the struggles and sufferings that comes with war and how Eugene's love for “the truth" got his editor, Ade Coker, killed by a letter bomb.
Kambili is introduced into the world of real adventure by Reverend father, Amadi, who, to Kambili's surprise, was nothing like other Reverend fathers she had known. Kambili would later have a crush on Father Amadi.
The author also portrays Kambili's aunt, Aunty Ifeoma and the cousins as people who were very memorable and liberal too, unlike her own family. Kambili expressed initial surprise because Aunty Ifeoma was the only one of the family that could call her father by his name and also rebuke him without fear of losing any financial rewards.
The story continues with Kambili being more of an extrovert as interesting things begin to unfold. Kambili's father, Eugene, would later die due to Kambili's mother poisoning him, probably in a bid to bring freedom for her and the children and Jaja wouldn't let his mother go to prison and so he took the blame and so goes to prison instead.
On a personal view i term these story as "non-fiction". Non fiction because a friend of mine in junior school had a father who exhibited the same characteristics as kambili's father but thank goodnews for the intervention of the school authority and religious leaders in the place my friend dad worshipped.
I really don't blame kambili's mom for her actions because she took that action for the sake of her children as a loving mother that she is. I will advice that every community should set out a body that controls some of these household violence. Every individual should also be educated on what religion and parenting entails.
The story is a beautiful and terrible one at the same time; artistically woven and highly recommended.