Table of Contents
Chapter 31
In Chapter 31, Olanna receives a packet of supplies from Mohammed and shares some of them with her neighbors.
Mama Oji warns Olanna about Alice and mentions how much time she spends with Odenigbo.
Olanna begins to become suspicious that the two are having an affair.
Kainene brings Olanna news of Ugwu’s death, and Olanna is devasted.
Umuahia is attacked and Olanna, Kainene, and Baby go to live with Kainene and Richard in Orlu.
In Orlu, Olanna and Odenigbo learn of Okeoma’s death. Again, they are devasted.
The relationship between Richard and Odenigbo continues to be tense. Meanwhile, Odenigbo continues to drink heavily.
Chapter 32
In Chapter 32, the reader learns that Ugwu is not actually dead but instead was saved by some infantrymen. He is injured though.
In a hospital, Ugwu encounters a priest called Father Damian who knows Olanna and Odenigbo from Nsukka. Father Damian sends word to them that Ugwu is alive and where to find him.
Richard comes to get Ugwu and takes him to Orlu where Ugwu gets better and then begins to help in the refugee camp.
Much of Chapter 32 is told from Ugwu’s perspective. The reader gets a sense of how bad things continue to be during the war. Also, Ugwu is greatly perturbed by his past actions, i.e., the rape of the girl in the bar.
Chapter 33
Chapter 33 begins with Kainene telling Odenigbo, Richard, and Olanna that she plans to trade across enemy lines. Odenigbo warns her that this is dangerous, but Kainene insists that she will do so the following day.
Indeed Kainene goes to Ninth Mile to buy something things but does not return after several days.
Of course, this worries her household, and eventually Richard and Olanna go to Ninth Mile in search of her but no one seems to have seen her so they return home.
Chapter 34
After a week, Kainene has still not been found. Richard and Olanna look for her at hospitals and in morgues. Still nothing.
The war ends with Biafra surrendering. Contrary to Olanna’s wishes, she, Odenigbo, Ugwu and Baby return to Nsukka via Abba so that Odenigbo can see where his mother was laid to rest.
Olanna leaves a note in Kainene’s home in Orlu saying that she will be back in a week to check if Kainene has returned.
Richard and Harrison head out to Ninth Mile in search of Kainene.
On the way to Nsukka, Olanna, Odenigbo, Ugwu and Baby are stopped by Nigerian soldiers.
The adults are made to do some manual labour and then thy are left to continue on their journey.
Chapter 35
Olana, Odenigbo, Ugwu and Baby finally arrive at their home in Nsukka, which they find in disarray.
Books and papers have been burned including some of Odenigbo’s research.
Ugwu goes to see his family, who are shocked to see him since they thought he was dead.
There, he learns that his mother died from coughing and that his sister had been gang-raped by 5 soldiers.
Olanna and Richard continue to search for Kainene to no avail.
The chapter ends with Richard telling Ugwu that he plans to travel to Lagos, passing by Umuahia, and accepts to carry a letter to Eberechi from Ugwu.
Chapter 36
At Kainene’s mother’s request, Richard goes to Kainene’s house in Port Harcourt.
There he finds that a squatter has taken posession of the house and will not allow Richard in.
In Lagos, Richard visits Kainene’s parents who have returned from the U.K. There he gets into a fight with Madu over whether or not Madu and Kainene were ever lovers.
It is in Lagos, that reality sets in for Richard. He will never see Kainene again.
Chapter 37
Chapter 37 is about Olanna coming to terms with her twin’s disappearance.
At the beginning of the chapter, she meets with her parents who keep telling her that Kainene will be found.
But as she is not found, and life around her seems to be getting back to normal, Olanna becomes increasingly desperate.
She has her Uncle consult a dibia (a traditional “Master of knowledge/wisdom”) and does as he instructs, to no avail: Kainene is not found.
At the end of the chapter, Olanna tells Odenigbo that Kainene will be her sister in her next life, seemingly having made peace with the fact that they will not meet again in this one.
The very last section of Half a Yellow Sun is an 8th section about The Book: The World Was Silent.
In it, you realize that it is was actually Ugwu and not Richard who ended up writing a book with that title.