Half of a Yellow Sun: Chapters 29–37

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In 1967, the Republic of Biafra declared independence from Nigeria, leading to civil war. This novel traces the lives of several characters who get caught up in turmoil of the Biafran War.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–10, Chapters 11–18, Chapters 19–24, Chapters 25–28, Chapters 29–37

Here are links to our lists for other works by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah, Purple Hibiscus
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wiry
    lean but strong
    When the soldier ran up to him, the first thing Ugwu saw was the pair of canvas shoes, before he looked up at the wiry body and scowling face.
  2. cynicism
    a pessimistic feeling of distrust
    He was indeed a boy. No more than thirteen. But the dry cynicism in his eyes made him seem much older than the teenager crumpled down opposite them.
  3. luxuriate
    enjoy to excess
    He unwrapped his mind from his body, separated the two, while he lay in the trench, pressing himself into the mud, luxuriating in how close and connected he was to the mud.
  4. nuance
    a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
    It was true that idioms and nuances and dialects often eluded him in Igbo, but the directorate was always too prompt in sending interpreters.
  5. indictment
    an accusation of wrongdoing
    Later, after they had been driven hurriedly to the tarmac and dashed into the planes and the planes took off in the on-again, off-again lighting, the title of the book came to Richard: “The World Was Silent When We Died.” He would write it after the war, a narrative of Biafra’s difficult victory, an indictment of the world.
  6. bleary
    tired to the point of exhaustion
    This drinking here silenced him. It made him retreat into himself and look out at the world with bleary weary eyes.
  7. elegiac
    resembling or characteristic of a lament for the dead
    The first songs were vigorous and then Mama Adanna’s voice broke out, husky and elegiac.
  8. incredulity
    doubt about the truth of something
    Odenigbo half stumbled out of the yard before they finished singing, a livid incredulity in his eyes, as if he could not believe the words of the song: Go in peace, it will be well with you.
  9. lucidity
    a clear state of mind
    It surprised him that it was possible for his body to return to what it had been and for his mind to function with permanent lucidity.
  10. perverse
    deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper
    Later, when she went to the market with Baby and Ugwu, she gaped at the rice and beans displayed in basins in the shape of mountains, the deliciously foul-smelling fish, the bloodied meat that drew flies. They seemed to have fallen from the sky, they seemed filled with a wonder that was almost perverse.
  11. clairvoyance
    apparent power to perceive things not present to the senses
    Olanna turned and looked carefully at Baby’s face, to search for clairvoyance, a sign that Baby knew Kainene was coming back.
  12. extricate
    release from entanglement or difficulty
    They had been heaped together before being set on fire, so he dug through with his hands, to see if the flames had missed any underneath. He extricated two whole books and wiped the covers on his shirt.
  13. inconceivable
    totally unlikely
    “I did not marry.” She moved the baby to the other hip. “I lived with a Hausa soldier.”
    “A vandal?” It was almost inconceivable to him.
  14. quaver
    give off unsteady sounds
    "Oh." Nnesinachi’s voice quavered.
  15. facile
    arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth
    Miss Adebayo visited and said something about grief, something nice-sounding and facile: Grief was the celebration of love, those who could feel real grief were lucky to have loved.
Created on Wed Apr 10 17:52:01 EDT 2019 (updated Thu Aug 07 15:43:05 EDT 2025)

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