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Teaser Tuesday and Where Are You? 03-30-09: Purple Hibiscus

Should Be Reading - Miz B - hosts this weekly event. We throw out a couple of sentences from our current read (without spoilers, of course) to entice you to read the book.

Today's selection comes from Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, page 93:

Mama had greeted him the traditional way that women were supposed to, bending low and offering him her back so that he would pat it with his fan made of the soft, straw-colored tail of an animal. Back home that night, Papa told Mama that it was sinful. You did not bow to another human being. It was an ungodly tradition, bowing to an Igwe. So, a few days later, when we went to see the bishop at Awka, I did not kneel to kiss his ring. I wanted to make Papa proud. But Papa yanked my ear in the car and said I did not have the spirit of discernment: the bishop was a man of God; the Igwe was merely a traditional ruler.



It's Tuesday, Where Are You? is hosted by an adventure in reading.

I am in contemporary Nigeria, the young daughter of an upper class converted Catholic. We live in Enugu and spend holidays in our other house in Abba.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Discernment is a tricky thing, to the horror of many parents!

Kim said...

Poor child. How confusing life must be. This book does sound intriguing.
*happy Tuesday*
Kim

gautami tripathy said...

I loved this book. You can link my with yours from 2008 reviews on my blog.

Poetic Teaser

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

I await another book by this author. She also wrote Half a Yellow Sun. Excellent.

Kaye said...

What is it with people yanking kids' ears? Immediately made me think of the nuns in Sunday School. OW! Good teaser, I'll have to check out this book.

Here is my teaser

Mary (Bookfan) said...

Makes me wonder how old she is.

My teaser is up.

Lisa said...

Poor kid! Dad isn't being much help here.

My teaser is here.

Margot said...

Sometimes parents can seem so cruel. Good teaser.

Beth F said...

Good teaser -- catches the confusion well.

Book Lover Lisa said...

Great teaser. Sounds like a good book.

Wendi said...

Interesting teaser - kind of a double standard!

Here's my Teaser from The Ten Year Nap! ~ Wendi

zetor said...

That creates an intriguing picture.

Harvee said...

Hi: love to read about African authors! Nice teaser.

Bellezza said...

Better you than I to be in Nigeria; I'd take Italy any day! The paragraph you posted makes me think of how impossible it is to please adults (parents?) sometimes.

Elizabeth said...

Oh, I really liked both novels I've read by this author. Thanks for reminding me!