Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a historical novel set during the Nigerian Civil War (Biafran War) in the 1960s, following the intertwined lives of characters like houseboy Ugwu, privileged sisters Olanna and Kainene, and English writer Richard, exploring themes of love, colonialism, ethnic identity, class, and the devastating human cost of war through personal experiences rather than just facts.