All the Books Written by Chimamanda Adichie
This article explores all books written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the biography of the author. Do you want to know her works or just want a brief to know the next title to read? This article is for you.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Biography
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian-American novelist and non-fiction writer, who was born on September 15th, 1977, in Nsukka, Enugu State, to Igbo parents, Grace Ifeoma and James Nwoye Adichie. Both parents worked as lecturers at the University of Nigeria and later became professors at the same institution.
Chimamanda’s father, James Adichie, served as the deputy vice-chancellor at the prestigious University of Nigeria situated in Nsukka before retiring, and he was the first professor of statistics at the school and in Nigeria. The mother became the first female registrar at the same institution.
Although Chimamanda was born in Nsukka, her original place of origin is Abba, an ancient town in Anambra state. The novelist spent most of her early life in the university town of Nsukka, and she attended the University’s primary and secondary schools, where she won several academic prizes. Thereafter, she gained admission to study medicine at the same institution where her parents were working as professors, but later dropped out after a year and moved to the United States at age 19, intending to continue her education.
She received a scholarship to study communication at Drexel University in Philadelphia for two years. After graduation, she enrolled at Eastern Connecticut University to major in Communication and Political Science, where she got a part-time job writing articles for the University’s journal, Campus Lantern. Her quest for education did not end at Eastern Connecticut University; she went on to get a degree in Creative Writing at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.
Chimamanda is married to Ivara Esege, a Cross River man, who was once an associate of the writer’s parents. The marriage has produced a child, and they have been married since 2009.
Famous Books written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
Chimamanda’s writing career began in the university town of Nsukka, where her family lived in a building once occupied by Chinua Achebe. As a non-fiction and historical writer, Chimamanda draws most of her inspiration from the stories of the Biafran War. Her first work — a collection of poems — was published in 1997, the same year her first novel, “For the Love of Biafra,” was published, and her early works were unpopular until her novel, “Purple Hibiscus,” became enormously popular after its release in 2003.
The novelist confessed to being influenced by fellow Igbo writers like Chinua Achebe and Buchi Emecheta, whom she had been reading throughout her time at the University’s secondary school.
Currently, she has a workshop where writers are trained. A fictional writer like Akwaeke Emezi was tutored at the Workshop. Emezi later accused Chimamanda of transphobia, despite Adichie having been apprised of Kenyan LGBTQ writer, Binyavanga Wainaina, who died of a stroke in 2019.
Chimamanda was raised Catholic, although, at one point, she identified as agnostic while maintaining her Catholic background. The writer, on some occasions, was critical of the Nigerian Catholic Church and claimed that her feminist views clash with her faith sometimes.
As a short story writer, non-fiction writer, and feminist, Chimamanda has written a few captivating books on feminism and the Biafran War, known as the Nigerian Civil War, in some quarters.
List of books and novels or short stories written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
1. Purple Hibiscus:
While this novel catapulted Chimamanda to the world of literary readers, it’s worth knowing that the writer had published two other works before ‘Purple Hibiscus‘ – Decision and For the Love of Biafra.
‘Purple Hibiscus’ tells the story of a staunch Catholic, who is revered for his indiscriminate generosity to the less privileged. Meanwhile, he is tyrannical to his family at home. When his family can’t bear his brutality toward them, they poison him, leading to his death.
2 . Notes on Grief:
Chimamanda narrowed this book to things around herself. She tries to talk to someone who has left her with a hole to come back.
3. Americanah:
This lengthy novel was published in 2013, ten years after ‘Purple Hibiscus’. The author tells the story of two Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze, who fell in love as secondary students in Lagos.
Ifemelu later moves to the United States to further her studies, leaving behind her secondary school lovemate in Nigeria. Obinze was denied a visa to America due to the 9/11 attack, and he turned to the UK for a similar opportunity, where he soon became an illegal immigrant after the expiration of his visa.
Obinze makes it home and finds success in his home country as a businessman. While Obinze and Ifemelu seem to have forgotten about themselves, the latter returns to Nigeria, and the duo wishes to breathe life into their dead past love.
4. Half of a Yellow Sun:
This novel chronicles the antebellum events in Nigeria using five characters. The title of the novel is derived from the images adorning the Biafran flag. Biafra was a breakaway state from Nigeria and only existed from 1967-1970. The country ceased to exist after January 15, 1970. Biafran surrender to Nigeria.
5. Zikora:
‘Zikora’ is a short story about a Nigerian migrant in the United States practicing law and was in love with a fellow African named Kwame. Their relationship was enviable and seemingly perfect until the lady, who was 39 years old, became pregnant and gave birth.
The short story sheds light on the troubles of pregnancy for professionals and the issues career women face in raising a child. Kwame is there for her but takes unexpected leave immediately after the pregnancy.
6. Dear Ijeawele, or Feminist Manifestos:
The book was initially in epistolary form before it was converted to a book after the author found out it was useful to mothers of daughters, especially in her home country, where she perceived that the rights of women are still suppressed. The author first published it on her Facebook page as an email to her Facebook friend, Ijeawele, whom she shares the same Igbo heritage with.
7. We Should All Be Feminists:
In this book, adapted from her TEDx Talk, Adichie tries to define feminism in the standard of the 21st century.
8. The Thing Around Your Neck:
This is a short story collection. The author tries to give readers a glimpse of a culture clash with a Nigerian woman in the spotlight, trying to adapt to the American lifestyle and groaning at the same time.
Another part of the story tells the story of Nnambia, a tough son of a professor. Namibia, with his gang, plans the murder of a university professor, leading to his arrest and imprisonment, but his prominent parents resort to dubious means to get him released. Although he was released at the end, he learned a lot of lessons watching other inmates being tortured.
