I finished this in two sittings, partly because Adichie’s descriptive prose is so compelling but also because that same literary power becomes unbelievably uncomfortable to read when put towards descriptions of domestic abuse & religious fanaticism. I found I had to close my eyes at points and even started skimming these sections, they were just too gut wrenching. And I didn’t find the overall plot redemptive enough to warrant the difficulty I found reading it: this is a very typical coming-of-age story wherein two teens grow up in an abusive religious household, taste freedom while boarding with a more liberal, free-spirited aunt, and then return home to confront their family damage. The best parts of the novel were the author’s long digressions into Nigerian food culture and the background sub-plot surrounding Nigeria’s history of military coups.

This is the second time I’ve struggled with Adichie’s novels. I didn’t finish Americanah and I almost didn’t finish this. Her non-fiction is much better, IMO.