Half of a Yellow Sun
Half of a Yellow Sun is a novel by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Published in 2006 by Fourth Estate, the novel tells the story of the Biafran War through the perspective of the characters Olanna, Ugwu, and Richard.
Where Half of a Yellow Sun keeps showing up
Two of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Also by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Books in conversation with Half of a Yellow Sun
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Half of a Yellow Sun
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old village houseboy, a wealthy academic, and her English boyfriend, the novel watches a young Nigeria break apart into the Biafran War and the lives that war takes apart.
Half of a Yellow Sun is fictional but set during the real Nigerian-Biafran War of 1967 to 1970. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's parents lived through the war, and she drew on family stories and extensive research.
Yes. Half of a Yellow Sun won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007 and the Best of the Best Orange Prize in 2020. It is widely considered one of the most important novels of the early 21st century.
Half of a Yellow Sun was written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, published in 2006 by Anchor.
Half of a Yellow Sun is 474 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Half of a Yellow Sun takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
Half of a Yellow Sun is a standalone novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, not part of a series.
Half of a Yellow Sun is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
