Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Book Review
Genre: Fiction, Africa, Contemporary Fiction, Feminism, Literary Fiction
See more on Goodreads
Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion—for each other and for their homeland.
MY REVIEW
Americanah was my favourite book of 2019, so much so that I’m still suffering from a book hangover, and I suspect that it will be a long while before I discover its equal/superior. Americanah explores race and immigration… and the best love story that I have read in the longest time. Perhaps the best love story of all-time in literature.
Ifemelu is enterprising, self-assured, pragmatic and bold and her blog posts on race is a blogger’s delight. I can imagine a few readers finding her frustrating, but I find her to be one of the most human, realistic and inspiring female characters I have ever read. Ifemelu is a character we rarely come across in literature. Obinze, on the other hand, is self-contained, introspective and intelligent. It is difficult to not fall in love with him.
Through Ifemelu and Obinze’s respective lives as immigrants in America and the UK, we see the pair struggle to integrate and adjust to life in the West. Though Ifemelu is eventually successful, the thread of longing for their native home, Nigeria, is ever present as well as their yearning for each other.
This could potentially prove to be a difficult read for some readers, especially for a reader whose experiences are so far removed from Ifemelu’s and Obinze’s. To put it in less euphemistic terms, this may be a challenging read for a non-black person. But that is exactly what it is supposed to be, it is exactly what Americanah strives to achieve. Americanah is not a light and breezy novel. It is a novel that forces you to question how race plays an impact in our lives on both macro and micro-levels, whether you’re Black, white, Asian or Hispanic. Which is why I recommend Americanah as essential reading to all. One look at the first review on Goodreads is an example of this, but the frustration of those who’ve replied is a familiar sentiment echoed throughout Americanah that at times is far too overwhelming a burden to bear and lighten. So, be prepared.
“Racism should never have happened and so you don’t get a cookie for reducing it.” Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I was all too aware of this which is why I hesitated to continue after the first ten pages. I had to make sure that I was ready… once I was ready, I took my time to read and reflect. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie draws us in with an intimate touch to her storytelling, we become fully immersed and involved in the lives of Ifemelu and Obinze and find ourselves forging a bond with the pair. Though the pacing stretches slowly, intricately expanding several interconnected threads, it feels right for a novel like Americanah… adjusting to a new life in a different country would realistically be a slow and grueling and dizzying process. I reached such a level of comfort that I didn’t want the book to come to an end. I wanted to continue this journey with these characters for even longer. Thankfully, this is one of the best endings I’ve read in a long time, a satisfying conclusion and a triumphant victory among victories.
I am ready to read everything Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has ever written and will write.
* * * SPOILER REVIEW * * *
Race and Immigration
Americanah begins with Ifemelu in America, preparing to move back to Nigeria and the bulk of the story focuses on the events leading up to this. Before Ifemelu immigrates to America and Obinze to the UK, Americanah primarily focuses on the relationship between Obinze and Ifemelu. The one other character here that achieves some character focus is Ifemelu’s Aunty Uju who is flashy, daring and materialistic and her son, Dike, full of joy and optimism until he is forced to deal with unexpected racism. Though the nature of Aunty Uju’s scandalous personal life is shocking, you can’t help but think fondly of Aunty Uju whose strong will, determination and pragmatism is easily found in Ifemelu too.
Life in Nigeria is a life of hustle and a teenager’s longing for the American dream (and of immeasurable wealth) without understanding the realities of obtaining the American dream. In short, Ifemelu, Obinze and their classmates all share a fantastical view of life in the West.
But eventually the reality hits once Ifemelu and Obinze land on American and British soil. They’re no longer two unique individuals with identities rooted in their individual traits… they are now Black. And it becomes difficult to separate their Blackness, they can’t escape it because America and Britain constantly reminds them of the colour of their skin. It’s wholly uncharted territory and ventured into by two vulnerable and unprepared adolescents no less.
We witness Ifemelu and Obinze suffering in their own respective lives, sunk low to desperation and poverty, and struggling to find employment that isn’t menial or degrading. The two eventually find some success, though not the luxurious success they had imagined they would. Ifemelu finds love in a white boyfriend who claims colour blindness (yet somehow has only ever had a black or Asian girlfriend) and understands very little about the complexities of racism. She then finds love in an American-Black boyfriend who understands perhaps too much about race – an all-consuming focus on race.
Somewhere along Ifemelu’s and Obinze’s nostalgia for Nigeria and the constant brush with racism, it suddenly hit me and perhaps has hit other South Asian second-generation immigrants too: that we had a comfortable and sheltered childhood surrounded by our community, we graduated from universities in our multicultural bubbles, and then we left the cocoon and entered the real world – and I mean the world outside healthcare and teaching that I often find my fellow Bangladeshi people living in -, we began working and we found ourselves confronted by the colour of our skin. Perhaps some of you were confronted by your hijab as well. We couldn’t escape the sudden difference. Racism. Prejudice. It’s everywhere. From the lowest point of the sliding scale to the highest. But from all this, all that independence we sought after, we birthed a love for our community, an irreplaceable bond for our people.
Ifemelu and Obinze finally discover their bond to their native land. They had to go through hell and back, misadventures, terrible and incompatible relationships, subconsciously battling for white acceptance and finally becoming weary of it. But they found the light at the end of the tunnel, back to Nigeria and back to each other. Ifemelu is still pestered by the nostalgia of Americanah of newly returned immigrants and can’t imagine for the life of her what exactly they miss, and you can’t blame her.
“I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there.” Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Ifemelu and Obinze
From their very first meeting, you cannot miss Ifemelu and Obinze’s undeniable chemistry. This is a love story. The two are so comfortable and free with each other and yet Ifemelu balks at times, but we can easily empathise with her – after all, how can a relationship be so easy, fun, wonderful, full of love and mutual respect and admiration? It’s scary. I found Ifemelu refreshingly relatable and Obinze effortlessly endearing. It’s easy to see that the two belong together and that you’ll root for them come hell or high water.
“She rested her head against his and felt, for the first time, what she would often feel with him: a self-affection. He made her like herself. With him, she was at ease; her skin felt as though it was her right size.. It seemed so natural, to talk to him about odd things. She had never done that before. The trust, so sudden and yet so complete, and the intimacy, frightened her.. But now she could think only of all the things she yet wanted to tell him, wanted to do with him.” Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Once the two depart for America and the US, they respectively fumble around in relationships with very obviously incompatible love interests. But it makes you wonder that had Obinze and Ifemelu never met each other, if their separate relationships could have worked out better? But the pair were forever in the shadows in their respective and eventually failed relationships, a constant reminder that it would never fit, not truly, not even if mitigated by seemingly relative peace.
Obinze eventually returns to Nigeria and leads a successful life with a beautiful, compliant, traditional and devoted wife. But still, Ifemelu never leaves his mind or his heart. Now, this is shocking for me and totally unprecedented – once Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, I found myself rooting for the pair to get back together. I know, Obinze is married. But, please, Obinze and his wife see the world in such a different way that, despite a marriage of minimal conflict, they can never truly be happy with each other. Ifemelu and Obinze just make sense. I can’t excuse the adultery, but breaking the marriage to be with his childhood sweetheart? It had to happen. Don’t stone me. For a love like that? Sorry, husband, but bye. Wish you luck. Oh my God, let me stop here before the guilt finishes me off.
To sum it up:
Obinze and Ifemelu – the greatest love story I have ever read. Americanah – the best book I read in 2019. 2020 – more Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie books.
Happy new year to you all, may we all read books that make us feel the way Americanah made me feel in 2020. Here’s to reading great books and scrapping the terrible ones that bring no joy.
What are your thoughts on Americanah and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie? What is your favourite Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie book? What other books on race would you recommend?
More… how do you feel, as black or Asian person, about race once you left the safety of childhood? In what ways have you noticed racism and prejudice that you hadn’t experienced/witnessed before? How do you approach your own identity, does you race play a role? Let me know in the comments!
Sophia Ismaa
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Sofearless 
The book sounds amazing. I’m adding it to my reading list.
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That’s great! I hope you enjoy it as much I did. 🙂
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I didn’t read the spoiler section because I want to read the book but I didn’t know it was a love story! The book certainly sounds like an important and great read. I know they’re adapting it soon for HBO I think. Hopefully they do it justice!
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Omg yes, I should have added that it’s being adapted for HBO (yay!), though I do worry whether a 10 episode series would be able to fully capture the nuances of the novel.
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That sounds like an amazing book!
I loved the first quote ‘Racism should never have happened so you don’t get a cookie for reducing it’ man it’s so true!
Alhamdullah I’ve never been a victim of direct racism but it’s the paranoia that you can’t walk out of your house without feeling scared that today may be the day when someone says or does something racist to you and you don’t know how you’ll react, I think that’s the most terrifying thing.
As a child I wasn’t aware of racism and hatred which I think I was lucky to have never expreienced or been aware of but I think that’s also why when I grew up and became more aware of it, it was a huge shock. I didn’t expect it.
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It really is! I don’t know how much I can recommend it to you because of your age, but I think once you’re out in the working world, this book will be especially relevant – though I hope it no longer has to be.
Yup! At times, I feel that sometimes some white allies really want to be recognised for reducing racism or it can sometimes border on performative allyship. It’s a tricky area to navigate, but with time and experience, you’ll be able to see who’s genuinely committed to reducing racism and who’s doing it for show and applause.
The paranoia and fear that you experience is still the direct effect of racism, so you’re vicariously suffering racism. It’s so sad to hear young people are afraid that they could experience racist attacks the moment they leave the house. That’s really upsetting to see. I hope you have support in place?
I know right! We’re so sheltered because I feel like we grow up deeply entrenched in our communities, sheltered from racism, and when we leave our little nests, we’re confronted by racism and we have no idea what to do either because we weren’t prepared for it. I don’t want to say it won’t happen, but if it does, Insha’Allah, I hope you have the right support and that you can turn to Allah (SWT) in times of trouble. Alhumdulillah, we have Allah (SWT) otherwise it can get very depressing.
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Don’t worry about recomending books to me. My friends and I have gotten to a point where we have discovered every colour of the rainbow whether it’s by purpose or accident.
Point is nothing can phase us at the point lol.
Alhamudillah, Manchester, or at leaste the part that I live in is pretty diverse… safe I wouldn’t know.
Apparently 2 stabbings happened in the past year in my area and I didn’t have a clue… I swear Mancunians, we’re crazy that way!
Alhamdullilah things are fine now but yeah things can be crazy!
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I’m still reluctant as there a few upsetting scenes, please read along with someone who can support you if you do.
That’s the thing diversity doesn’t mean safety, nor equality. Our country has deep roots in colonialism after all. I’m reading Nesrine Malik’s ‘We Need New Stories’ and she speaks about the free speech conspiracy which has allotted rising mainstream space to the bigoted e.g. Tommy Robinson, Nigel Farage, etc. Even Question Time entertains the bigoted. Until our voices are merged into mainstream media and consumption, I don’t think we’ll see ourselves as ‘safe.’ But, hey, we’re Muslims. Insha’Allah, through righteous action and good deeds, we could count ourselves amongst the victorious. We need to hold fast to our communities and Islam.
I’m quite shocked that you didn’t know about the stabbings! Is that because you were shielded from it or because hardly anyone knew? I know someone who was recently stabbed 12 times (he was attacked by 20 men), and airlifted to the hospital and yet it wasn’t anywhere in the news. It’s crazy that not everything is reported which makes me wonder and worry that knife crime is a lot higher than we think it is.
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I think I didn’t know about the stabbings because I’m barely ever in my area. My school is in a completly different part of manchester and although that area is even worse with shootings as well as gang fights I think I’m just blessed alhamdullah to be at the right place at the right time I guess.
I’ve just gotten to a point in life where I just wanna sit down with anyone who calls us terrorists and say ‘Okay, so we’re all terrorists, what’s your solution? Kill 1.4 billion people?’
If I’m being honest to my generation, the Islamaphobia is being taken as a joke. Yes, it’s a very serious thing but we just find it hilarious what the media assumes of us and how they always manage to butcher our names on National TV. I mean if you’re gonna calls us out, do it right!
If there’s one thing I would never change about myself it’s my religion. I love it and anyone who says otherwise is entitled to their own opinion but I just believe they didn’t get the chance to see the true Islam.
America’s got shootings, the UK’s got Knife Crime… The Arab countries have unfair justice systems and/or war… The world is messed up…
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Subhana’Allah, I don’t know whether to say that’s good or bad. How is knife crime like in Manchester? This is one of the few times I’ve heard it being really close to someone’s school. In London, there are certain areas that are more affected like Camden. There was one that happened right behind my workplace, and it was really sad because the young boy was trying to prevent the fight from happening. 🙁
They just want us out of their country – some of them, that is. A lot of their reasoning is misguided as well. It’s like when you’re losing an argument not because you’re wrong, but because the other person is too stupid to comprehend that they’re wrong. 😅
Yeah, I understand where you’re coming from. But do you think humour is being wielded as a defence mechanism here? Islamophobia can feel very isolating depending on where you are. I remember being at a book club where I was the only POC there, and when I mentioned that I’m Muslim, they looked terrified. Another time I started a new job and when I told them I’m Muslim, bearing this in mind this was at a ‘liberal’ and leading and theatre company, and I saw the fear in their eyes. It really hit me once I entered my 20’s how prevalent islamophobia is. Other than that, I completely agree. Our religion is beautiful, why should I feel ashamed in any way of being Muslim?!
I’ve finished reading a book on essays written by female Arab journalists reporting on the ground in Arab countries, Subhana’Allah, I learnt a lot.
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Islamaphobia has always been an issue since the time of the prophet, it’s something we’re just gonna have to keep fighting against but it’s nothing new.
I went though a stage where I was terrified of being the only Muslim, now not so much, I’m more concerned on my education and proving everyone wrong to worry about being the only Muslimah to be honest.
Knife Crime in Manchester… does having a speech about the dangers of knives, gangs and drugs sound like an answer?
I swear we’ve been hearing that speech for 3 weeks now it’s not even funny anymore…
Then again, the area my school is in is a very dangerous area and we have consistent gang issues etc but alhamduallah I don’t think anyone from my school has been directly affected.
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Yes, we will have to keep fighting. Thank God we have our Muslim communities, and it makes me grateful for the scholars who came to this country to build these communities, we would have been led astray if we hadn’t. If we can stand united, I think we’ll always have hope, and Insha’Allah when Imam Mahdi and Isa (AS) return, we’ll be on the right side. So, until then, we have to keep fighting and do our best.
Subhana’Allah, that’s really good that you’re focusing on your education. I hope you don’t worry too much about proving anyone wrong, but rather prove yourself right doing what you love and doing it well. Insha’Allah, may Allah (SWT) grant you success in the field you want to work in.
Hmm, I think speeches can be one of the ideas… but I wonder whether conflict resolution strategies might work better? Teaching young kids to solve their issues peacefully and intervening like competent authorities should. I know in my secondary school that when fights broke out and people were being bullied, our teachers intervened right away, they even held counselling sessions so we could sit and understand each other, and any bullying, including cyber bullying, was put to a stop the moment it was found out. For me, I found it very effective. Is that something that would work for you and your classmates and your generation?
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I do think that your idea for a solution is a very good idea and I do think it would be greatly applied but the sad thing is because there are so many students in this day and age and there are so many parents that are too ‘Busy’ for their kids it ends up with us only getting yelled at for the wrong things we do without being asked why we do them.
Currently, I’m focusing on beating my targets and reaching the grades necessary to get into my dream colleges. (If there’s one thing I am certain about is I am not sticking around for my high school’s sixth form, it’s far too stressful and I value my mental health)
Inshallah we’ll eventually figure out how to me an ummah again instead of a group of them and us…
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I was thinking more along the lines of schools. Do your teachers intervene when they see bullying and fighting? Your parents can only see so much at the end of the day, but they’re not there in school with you guys.
That’s really good to hear that you’re focusing on your studies. Going to a new college can be both exciting and stressful, but I know a lot of people who went to new colleges without their friends and they’ve ended up making really close friendships. 😊
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Of course teachers try to sort out issues but we also have a student anti-bullying team for those kinds of issues.
The problem is sometimes you approach teachers that don’t do anything because their power is so limited they can’t do anything except let u rant which although that is helpful it’s not what you need sometimes.
I’m never really one to stick around in one place for very long if I have the choice. Even if I love the people there you have to go and explore the world and see the different options you have open for you!
Also many colleges focus on the types of skills I would like and not only on Academia which is what I want not an academic high results driven college. That would mentally and physically drain me
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How effective is the student anti-bullying team? What procedures do they have in place?
True. It’s good to vent, I understand that. I’m surprised to find that some teachers find that their powers are limited… my secondary school made sure to address bullying, offer support, resolutions and even therapy which was really useful. They are there to protect children and young people too, and that includes bullying too.
Completely agree! That’s a great mindset! ☺️ A whole new, exciting and crazy world out there! It’s a whole adventure.
Very true, some colleges focus more on rote memorisation, but unless you’re studying to be a lawyer, salesperson or doctor, it’s not going to be especially useful! Are you applying to college which focus on science?
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I haven’t a clue which colleges I’m think of applying to but I do know I want to keep my options open. As much as I love Science I also love history and English literature so my true calling might not even be something science based.
The student Anti-bullying team is effective and bullying isn’t really an issue in my school simply because they put so much pressure on us all we do is cry that there isn’t time to be a bully or be bullied. *inserts dark humour*
The Anti-bulling team when approached with a problem generally will work in groups of 2s or 3s to try and sort the situation.
If it is an issue that is far too big and is very serious we will the leading teacher of the anti-bullying team who will get involved and will help the other ambassadors out.
If it’s too serious to be dealt by student the issue will be taken to the heads of years and the SLT (safeguarding team) who will sort it out.
My school is extremely strict and although we don’t have misbehavior we have a lot of girls who I am 100% sure will be leaving the school and checking into therapy.
As much as the school’s education is amazing and they create a lot of opportunities they put a lot of pressure on us. An insane amount that many of us, including myself, have cracked and started to see our standards drop.
We get told off for it but we’ve honestly reached a stage where we don’t care anymore. But yeah, my school doesn’t offer facilities like therapy etc or even if they do, it’s not publicly announced and it’s almost impossible to get an appointment with the school nurse…
The teachers are extremely limited to what they can do. Many of them get frustrated by that but the only ones who can make any sort of change are the pastoral team who simply don’t care. Or they’re too terrifying or annoying to approach.
(I apologise for the huge rant 😂)
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Ooh! That sounds like a difficult choice to make, I hardly ever see anyone doing both STEM & Humanities. My cousin brother, he’s 19 now, he did History, Chemistry and another STEM subject, and he’s studying at Queen Mary now, so why not combine your passions. A Levels are more in-depth, so studying the subjects you love will help you decide which one you feel is your true calling.
Paha! My sister says that once she reached Year 9, it was all study study study, no time for drama, everyone’s getting on with learning. But it’s the Year 7’s and Year 8’s who are more likely to experience bullying. There was one girl who kept pressuring my cousin, she’s in Year 7, to share her notes and homework and she finally said no, you need to do it yourself, and that girl has not been happy with her since. The anti-bullying team sounds really good! It’s a lot more serious in secondary school now, I wish every student was able to dedicate time to both studying and friendship, but a lot of people tend to stay friends with their secondary school friends to this day, so it works out fine.
Oh, no, why do you think they’ll be checking into therapy? I encourage therapy to everyone anyway because it’s been really useful for me.
I understand why they do it because it will matter a lot, you’ll be competing with a lot of people, but I hope you get to do work experience because that is the stuff that matters just as much if not more, it sets you apart from the competition. Ugh, I hate even using that word, capitalism makes you see people as competition.
That’s really bad that they don’t offer any therapeutic services… do they at least offer a guidance counsellor? Don’t worry about ranting, you’d be surprised, my sister tells me a lot about how she’s doing in school and she had the same frustrations in secondary school. But Subhana’Allah, she’s enjoying A Levels so far because she’s doing subjects she ENJOYS! ☺️
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School, a good idea on paper but when applied into real life doesn’t work, just like communism. (History nerd alert sorry 😂)
My school is known to put a ton of pressure and with the amount of pressure a lot of girls can’t cope. Today was a hilarious sight, you had the Y7s most of them were in a school, the Y8s who were missing around 10 people, and the Y9s who had like 18 people off 😂
(We’re a growing school so Y9 is the eldest year at the moment)
You can tell who’s struggling with dealing with the pressure.
Sadly no guidance counsellors or therapists. It’s very Asian/Arab style where it’s all ‘Mental Health isn’t real,’ Kind of thing.
Or I get that vibe at least.
Y9 is so stressful but sadly the Drama doesn’t end.
I got myself into a soul sucking friendship and after a year of struggling I’m out.
I finally told her I don’t want to be friends with her anymore (I’m currently celebrating and eating metaphorical cake 😂)
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LOOOOL! But there’s a difference between communism & socialism and I think school textbooks gloss over that difference. Someone on twitter tweeted that if capitalism is so great, why does socialism have to bail it out every ten years? 😂
LOOOOL. That could not be more of a better representation of school. Eager year 7’s, year 8’s slowly becoming disillusioned, year 9’s have completely lost their rose-tinted glasses!
I’ve never heard of that before! So after year 9, do you go to a different school?
Ah, no, that’s frustrating. I think our scholars aren’t talking enough on mental health. Our generation will have to do it ourselves tbh.
Oh no! That’s sad. I hope, Insha’Allah, May Allah (SWT) grant her peace. I don’t know the situation, so I don’t want to say anything more than that. You’re both still learning, Insha’Allah May both of you benefit in the next few years.
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Sadly, a generation has to suffer so the next one doesn’t, our generation is suffering with mental health so I hope the next does not.
Friendships… ah, things just didn’t work out, she is a good person deep down but she need to discover that herself and I couldn’t continue getting hurt by her because she couldn’t realise how awesome she is. So, I said goodbye. (Sheesh that’s deep 😂)
As for my school, what’s happened was 3 years ago our school didn’t exist so when they opened our school they started with just Y7 and then the year after that the Y7s became Y8 and new Y7s joined and now the first ever Y7s to join are Y9 (do you get where I’m going) so next year, Y9s will become Y10 and there will be a year 10 and then a year 11 all the way to sixth form.
It’s just easier than opening all 7 year groups all at once.
As our history teacher stated it, socialism is the watered down version of communism. 😂
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Wow, can’t believe I wrote a whole essay out and my app froze. Have to type everything up again.
I disagree that it’s our generation that has to suffer with it wholly because mental health has been present for centuries now, people were just better at hiding it or it was labelled as something else. Grief and loss is something that is explored when we read about the Prophet (SAWS). I think our generation is the one that’s finally recognising it. Though, I have a love/hate relationship with labels, it detracts from the role society plays in causing grief, anxiety and depression. Look at school shooters, he’s “mentally ill” instead of focusing on gun laws. Someone is depressed because they lost their job/lost their house, they blame it on trauma instead of focusing on poverty, class and race discrimination. Someone speaks up because they finally want justice, people blame it on their trauma and mental health and say they’re projecting when it’s really society who’s projecting their lack of accountability in ensuring the rights of others. I think there are some cases where mental health discussions are great because it’s not a byproduct of the society we live in, but in other ways, we’re moving away from looking at the root causes because we don’t want to deal with them. It’s a double-edged sword.
That’s really sad, I hope both of you can benefit from this somehow. Insha’Allah May Allah (SWT) forgive her and guide her towards the right path.
Okay, lol, that makes sense! I read a book on Malala and her father opened a school and I’m wondering why that didn’t stick and instead I’ve come to ask you!
Hmm. I would be cautious. History teachers can have their own biases. Some may profit better under capitalism than socialism depending on class and race. I don’t know enough about your teacher to critically analyse his reasoning too far, so I’ll just leave it at that.
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I actually don’t read book reviews, but because I saw the name was Nigerian I decided to do so lol. Nonetheless, I loved the first two quotes you put in from the book, and you have a well rounded overview of the book, which you can’t ignore.
If you decide to read more of Chimamanda like you said, I’ll defo read more (if you review them). But for now, thank you for being my first book review read, and have a happy new year 😊
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OMG. That’s so lovely to hear. The first book review you’ve ever read is because the author is Nigerian. Nothing beats the love of our home! 🙂 and thank you for reading.
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I knew you would love this book!! It’s simply amazing. And you did a fantastic job of summing of every point that makes this book special. I suggest “Purple Hibiscus” next. It’s YA. But not sappy, forgettable YA. It is Adichie after all. It’s deep.
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I have Half of Yellow Sun I believe, but not a copy of Purple Hibiscus. I remember Adichie spoke about it in an interview, an American had stereotyped the father in PH as what he expected of all African men to which she retorted that she’s seen American Psycho, but she doesn’t assume that every white American male is a psychopath… ha! Only Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie can make me read YA, I’ve been quite hesitant to read YA because of its, at times, forgettable element, but I think black and Asian authors have a way of reinventing YA that’s unparalleled. They’re bringing much needed life to the genre.
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I plan to read more of her books this year. She is a phenomenal writer. Oh, wow! I didn’t know that! Love her response. And I feel the same about YA. I love Morgan Matson but her books are just… fluff. There’s nothing deep to them.
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You know what, I’m going to join in on that and make it a goal to read every book she has ever written this year.
That’s why I’ve never read Matson’s books, it’s just not for me, but I completely understand why people love her books because they’re just light, good fun and we all need that!
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I’m going to read this as soon as I can get hold of a copy, ‘Half a Yellow Sun’ and ‘Purple Hibiscus’ are both wonderful novels. They’re ones that I’d read again… and you can’t get a better recommendation than that!
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I have a copy of Half of a Yellow Sun and I think I might push it up my TBR a little higher seeing as I absolutely loved Americanah. I know that Purple Hibiscus explores domestic abuse, so I’ll save that for a time when I feel *prepared* to read it. I should have also stated that Americanah does contain some scenes that may be considered triggering, so please be prepared. Thank you for the recommendations! ☺️
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Hi. I’m going to follow your site. No pressure to reciprocate, though I’ll be happy if you do.
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Thank you. 🙂
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This sounds absolutely amazing! I will add this book to my list for sure. I love books that challenge me!
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That’s amazing to hear, I hope you love it as much I did (and still do!). ☺️
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This and Half a Yellow Sun has been on my TBR for the longest. I was fascinated by Chimamanda’s Ted talk ‘We Should All be Feminists’. Your review of Americanah is simply great.
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I absolutely loved We Should All Be Feminists, I hadn’t known that it was a Ted talk until long after I had read it. I have a copy of Half of a Yellow Sun, and I’m making it a priority read for this year. And thank you! 🙂
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I loved this book – as I love all her books. Thanks for the review.
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I can’t wait to read everything else she has written this year! Thank you for reading. 🙂
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