Purple Hibiscus cover art

Purple Hibiscus

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Purple Hibiscus

By: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £20.99

Buy Now for £20.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a 2003 O Henry Prize winner, and was shortlisted for the 2002 Caine Prize for African Writing and the 2004 Orange Prize. In Purple Hibiscus, she recounts the story of a young Nigerian girl searching for freedom. Although her father is greatly respected within their community, 15-year-old Kambili knows a frighteningly strict and abusive side to this man. In many ways, she and her family lead a privileged life, but Kambili and her brother, Jaja, are often punished for failing to meet their father’s expectations. After visiting her aunt and cousins, Kambili dreams of being part of a loving family. But a military coup brings new tension to Nigeria and her home, and Kambili wonders if her dreams will ever be fulfilled. Adichie’s striking and poetic language reveals a land and a family full of strife, but fighting to survive. A rich narration by South African native Lisette Lecat perfectly complements this inspiring tale.

©2003 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Dream Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Zikora cover art
The Teller of Secrets cover art
The Kite Runner cover art
Beach Music cover art
The Poisonwood Bible cover art
The Famished Road cover art
Wyoming Wild cover art
Monsoon Mansion cover art
Picnic at Hanging Rock cover art
Crumbs from the Table of Joy cover art
North and South cover art
The Girl Who Wrote in Silk cover art
Under the Udala Trees cover art
Queen Sugar cover art
Salvage the Bones cover art

Critic reviews

"One of the best novels to come out of Africa in years." ( The Baltimore Sun)
“Prose as lush as the Nigerian landscape that it powerfully evokes. . . . Adichie's understanding of a young girl's heart is so acute that her story ultimately rises above its setting and makes her little part of Nigeria seem as close and vivid as Eudora Welty's Mississippi.” ( The Boston Globe)
"A sensitive and touching story of a child exposed too early to religious intolerance and the uglier side of the Nigerian state." (J. M. Coetzee)
All stars
Most relevant  
The way the writer made you feel you were in the room. I have been in a ok club for 4 years and we have read some great books, it was unanimous that this was the best.

Beautiful writing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I do not think the narrator was right for the character.she should have had a Nigerian accent to make it more authentic.

wrong choice of narrator

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love this book by the talented Chimimanda Ngozi Adichi, and I will surely reread it. Touches on sensitive topics whilst also maintaining integrity.

I would highly recommend if you're also an avid reader of Malorie Blackman books.

Truly Rivetting and a memorable read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is an incredibly powerful novel paired with extraordinary narration to bring it to life. I can’t stop thinking about it. Would recommend to anyone.

A moving story that stays with you

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Although the story itself was interesting, I would've loved a Nigerian to narrate the book. Someone who actually knows how to pronounce the Igbo words.

Interesting book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
My friend and I have started our own book club. I sometimes cheat and listen to the books and this was one I chose to listen to.

I don’t think I could have gotten through the paper version of this as not much happens and there are a lot of similes and metaphors that sometimes bore me to read.

I did enjoy listening to this book. I wish I got to know more about each individual character, I could tell you what the rooms looked and smelled like but I couldn’t tell you much about each character but I think that’s what makes this book so touching is that it’s simple and immersive and you really do see the world through the main characters eyes.

The narration was good however I do wish it had been narrated by someone from the location the book is set as it would have added to the beauty of this book.

I would recommend but as a novice reader myself, I would probably start with something easier.

Beautiful listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have really enjoyed this book, the story, narrative and the many things I learned from a country in Africa, the end was quite sad because I didn’t expect it. I recommend this book.

Very interesting book from a Nigerian author

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A Beautifully written coming of age story that left me with so many questions about the characters. I wanted a happy ending for Kambili and Jaja. Like in the many movies I have watched. Yet the book ends with a sad silence… I do not know what to make of their futures.

Can there be a sequel?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
i brought the book purple hibiscus a while back and was looking forward to reading the audiobook alongside it. the storytelling and plot was amazing. chimamanda has a way with words. however, the choice of narrator was completely wrong. the narrator spoke in a south african accent, and it seemed she seemed to struggle with some of the igbo dialect, which did not give the reading an authentic nigerian experience. if not, an authentic igbo experience. that is a shame because chimamanda’s writing is immersed in the authentic igbo experiences. this made this audiobook truly awful to listen to. i wanted to give up with it, at times, out of frustration!

the plot and storytelling was amazing, but wrong choice of narrator…

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Would have loved to know what went through Kamili's Mum throughout the story, and Kaka too. Aunt Efeoma and Amaka were my favourite characters. This was my third read still my favourite book from Chimamanda

The Women

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews