Chimamanda is apparently a genius, according the MacArthur foundation anyway. So of course, I went in to the book with sky high expectations. I'm happy to report she did not disappoint. 
 Books by writers from Africa, especially female ones was something of a final frontier for me. It's not a sub section of litfic that I usually find myself reading. I was happy when my book club voted in this for our next read, therefore. Nigeria was a country that I wanted to learn more about, my knowledge was limited to what I've heard from friends and the newspapers. Both sources (really all sources) tend to biased. Once again, Chimamanda does not disappoint. 
 Purple Hibiscus has astonishing flow. At no point did I feel like putting it down because I was bored. First person narratives have always been my weak points. I love being inside a person's head as much as the next guy, but this is one step too much, usually. Chimamanda however manages to keep most of the opinion giving at bay and really Kambili for the most part is only an observer. I appreciate that, I think its what made the never-ending sway of the book possible. 
 The book to me was about the gradual loss of innocence. We follow Kambili through a short period of time in the context of things as Nigeria falls apart around her. Nigeria's fall somewhat mirrors her own life falling apart. Perhaps the title has to do with slowness of the transition, like a flower slowly losing its petals. I will save the rest of my thoughts for my book club :)