In Purple Hibiscus Kambili's father is very abusive and controlling. Some would argue that he is just a bad person, however, I believe he cares about them very much but he doesn't know how to show them. He truly wants the best for them so when they do things like come in second in their class it disappoints him because he wants them to be the best. He also highly values religion so much so that when his father dies he refuses to partake in a "pagan" funeral. However, he does show he loves his father by paying for a nice funeral for him. I initially thought I would not enjoy this book because it is quite depressing and sad, but I have come to enjoy reading this book. Part of the reason I enjoy reading might be because it is a very unusual story. I have never read a story set in Nigeria nor a story with characters as complex as Papa and Kambili. Papa and Kambili are very complex characters that require work to truly understand them. I am looking forward to reading m