Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is a story about 15 year old Kambili and her life in Nigeria.  It is a story that envelops you into the her world of Nigeria.  It is a world that is both beautiful as well as ugly.  I was pulled into the inner world of a shy girl as she ties to make sense of the brutal patriarchal world that she lives in.  In contract to to her brutal world her father's sister is the bright light of a strong determined woman.  This book shows the deep scars of colonial England upon the people of Nigeria as the culture class of Christianity collides with the old traditional culture.  It was the first African author I have read and I was very glad I took the time to read this book.