***** Spoiler Alert - this blog post will cover material up to page 276 *****
The readers of Purple Hibiscus first meet Father Amadi, though we do not know it yet, on page 28, when he is a guest preacher at Kambili's church in Enugu. He breaks into Igbo song midway through his sermon, which is very unusual for a priest to do, and displeases Eugene. The next time we see him is on page 135 when he is the priest in Nsukka (where Aunty Ifeoma lives) and he is visiting Ifeoma's house for dinner. In that first meeting, Kambili thinks he is handsome and wants him to notice her. She is aware when he looks at her, and she "can't move her tongue" (p 139). She can't speak, something Ifeoma attributes to her shyness, but it the first sign of love.
Throughout the book, this infatuation develops. On page 219, Amaka tells Kambili that she (Kambili) has become Amadi's sweetheart. Kambili even admits she has a crush on him. Their car rides and the hospital also help grow this relationship. By page 276, it has escalated to the point where Kambili tells Amadi that she loves him, and he kisses her. It is too bad that he is a Catholic priest, and can't marry or have children. Seriously, he should leave the priesthood.
So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed Purple Hibiscus and I am anxious to see what happens next, at the end of the book. My prediction is that Eugene's rashes do not come from "allergies," and that maybe someone is poisoning him or something. Also, I really hope that Kambili and Jaja go with Ifeoma and her family to America. We'll just have to see.
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