Some of my favourite reads 2006 #2

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Reading this book has been actually very hard because it was just as she described my country's recent past. I was there in every single sentence when she described situation on University; government's repression; political murders; corruption on every level of society; killing free press; endless waiting in a front of embassies; disregard of international community; "For them, I'm nothing more than black gorilla who knows to read" (said University professor in the book) I understand perfectly although we here have different color of the skin but acceptance and attitude of the western world was absolutely the same; struggle against the regime; protests of students and their professors (we have protested 3 months on winter '97) ... etc. Everything was the same.
It seems that misery of small and ignorance of big ones are universal no matter about which part of the world we are talking.

yes, maybe I'm selfish when I'm putting in first place surrounding of main characters in spite of strong portraits of Kambili's family members. It was magnificent achievement indeed.

Now I saw in one journal entry something I have to comment. Namely someone said But when the possibility of emigration to America is raised, neither Amaka nor Kambili can countenance it - Nigeria is their home and the place they love.
Well this is quite ... (how should I put) romantic and touchy point of view BUT both of them, Amaka and Kambili are children and as a children they cannot see the entire picture about the mess their motherland is into (especially Kambili); they cannot see the consequences of staying in Nigeria; they are too young to think about their future and have others to do that. So of course they wanted to stay in place they love and think (but only think) they know.
I have childhood friends in whole Europe, North America and Australia and they are suffering horribly of homesickness. Their letters are ... well very sad in spite good financial life they have in those countries and safe future for their children. But every single one of them knows that staying here was not possible for them.

You cannot stay in your home when the roof is falling (maybe that is romantic and touchy but that is not real life). You have to go further and find consolation in memories and photos while your sitting somewhere under different, solid roof in that new, 'better' world.