Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born on September 15, 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria. Before her birth, Adichie's family lost nearly everything as a result of the Nigerian Civil War. She was raised in Nsukka, near the University of Nigeria. Her father, James Nwoye Adichie, was a professor of statistics and later became the deputy vice-chancellor of the university. Her mother, Ifeoma Adichie, was the university's first female registrar. Adichie is the fifth child in a family of six children. Her family is of Igbo descent.
Adichie enrolled at the University of Nigeria, where she studied medicine and pharmacy. After a year and a half, Adichie relocated to the United States to continue her studies,...
