Purple Hibiscus: A Novel

Fifteen-year-old Kambili lives in luxury in Enugu, Nigeria. Kambili, her seventeen-year-old brother Jaja, and their parents—Papa and Mama—inhabit a huge house inside a walled compound. A chauffeur drives Kambili and Jaja to and from their private schools. Papa, Eugene Achike, is a wealthy and famous factory owner, newspaper publisher, philanthropist, and champion of human rights. Papa and Mama are pillars of St. Agnes.

In the privacy of his own home, however, Papa is an abusive tyrant. He demands perfection from Jaja and Kambili, plans every moment of their lives, and punishes them physically if they don’t follow his plan. Kevin, their chauffeur, takes them everywhere and reports their behavior to Papa. Papa also physically abuses Mama, who excuses and endures his abuse by taking refuge in her collection of miniature figurines of ballet dancers.

A military coup topples the government, and Papa gets caught up in pro-democracy work. At about the same time, Mama discovers she is pregnant again after several miscarriages. Early in her pregnancy, on Pentecost Sunday, Mama feels ill and asks to be excused from a social obligation. Papa beats her so badly for this that she miscarries again. Kambili and Jaja watch as Papa carries Mama out of the house.

Mama comes home from the hospital, and Kambili’s life resumes its strict routine. But she struggles in school and comes in second, not her usual first, on her exams. When he hears of this, Papa becomes furious, but an emergency interrupts Kambili’s punishment. The military government arrests Ade Coker, the editor of Papa’s newspaper. After arranging Ade Coker’s release, Papa turns his attention back to Kambili and reminds her that god expects perfection.

As is the custom in Nigeria, the Achike family returns to their home village, Abba, for Christmas. At their country mansion in Abba, Papa receives an endless stream of villagers and bestows gifts on them, while Mama and the other women feed the visitors. Papa’s father, Papa-Nnukwu, also lives in Abba. Papa allows Kambili and Jaja to visit Papa-Nnukwu, but only for fifteen minutes because he views their grandfather as a heathen.

Aunty Ifeoma, Papa’s sister, arrives in Abba with her three children: Amaka, a fifteen-year-old girl; Obiora, a slightly younger boy; and Chima, a boy of seven. Against Papa’s wishes and without his knowledge, Aunty Ifeoma takes Kambili and Jaja to a traditional festival. Even worse, she brings Papa-Nnukwu along. Papa-Nnukwu explains Igbo folklore to his grandchildren. Later, when Aunty Ifeoma also asks Papa to let Kambili and Jaja come with her on a pilgrimage to a Catholic shrine, Papa reluctantly agrees.