Arena

Coleman Book Group, February 2012 Half a Yellow Sun, takes its title from the emblem for Biafra, the breakaway state in eastern Nigeria that survived for only three years, and whose name became a global byword for war by starvation. Adichie's writing is a powerful focus on war's impact on civilian life. She describes each of the central characters attempts to understand and survive this war. Some of us found the book difficult to read, both because of the gruesome events described and because we struggled with unfamiliar names. However we felt it was a worthwhile emotional and educational read.