Americanah

Better late than never, yes?

I finally got to enjoy Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A smart, gutsy young Ifemelu goes to America to acquire a better education and hopefully walk into a bright future. Don’t we all want to do this? Um, well, maybe not. Some people are content where they are, although if you are from Uganda, and are not part of the small percentage that can afford the few good private schools in Kampala and the likes, then you probably want to try something else.

Anyway, Ifemelu is off to America, leaving behind her love -- Obinze. America, the land of dreams turned out to be quite the experience for her. From the moment she arrived, there was change: her aunt seemed different, finding work was not as easy as it had been made out to be, and race is a real thing! Things shift this way and that way, she is pressed in ways she had never considered. How far is she willing to go to survive, and does she? Will her relationship with Obinze survive?

There are many things you encounter in this book including conversations on race in America, on Africans living abroad and their complicated journeys, on cross-cultural and interracial relationships, on the higher education “class”, if I can call it that etc. The tensions are real, the characters are very relatable, and scenes feel like they have been picked out of everyday life in America, the UK, and the continent. It is also funny yet the seriousness of the topics covered is hard to ignore [you could if you wanted, but I could not].

If you are looking for a good, good read, this book is worth it. If you are African and have lived in the USA or UK, you absolutely have to read this book, and I hope you find some spots to make you laugh the way it made me laugh. The Americanah in this book are what Ugandans call MuSummer/BaSummer. What a ride!

Highly recommended.