Americanah

Another masterpiece from Chimamanda. Ifemalu, an educated and sophisticated college student in Nigeria, moves to the USA in pursuit of better prospects. She struggles to get a job, a work permit and then a green card. The author excellently narrates the sexual exploitation and racism in America, especially for blacks, whether American or non-American. Finally, when partially well off, she arrives home and starts fresh, but gets bored very fast. Here, she wants to patch things up with her old boyfriend, who is married and financially well settled. Overall, a good combination of love story, betrayals, frustration, and racism. Five stars. Dr Brij Mohan Author-Second Innings.

Americanah is a love story of Ifemelu and Obinze. Americanah is also a discussion about race, kinky hair, immigration, society and its social relationships, and life in Africa.. well Nigeria. The base story was good. Enough to keep you hooked. All the characters were real and interesting. But the writing within the writing was beautiful and that is what the book is about. I read that the story is based on the author’s own experiences when she encountered race in USA. Ifemelu’s thoughts, as she encounters various situations in her homeland and in a foreign country; as she invents and re-invents herself via her blogs, as expressed by the writer are what make the book so much more than just a story. The same goes for the experiences described by Obinze. The book talks about the difference between being black in Africa and being black elsewhere. The flow is quite seamless as the author takes us through different countries. It talks about very real situations of immigrant lifestyles and the changes that one goes through to try and fit in and the psychological upheavals it can cause. Everyone assumes that moving from a less developed country to a more developed one is a blessing and can only bring opportunities. But so many issues go unspoken. Adichie has not shied away from bringing them up. A great read, fairly fast paced, thought provoking and well written. I would recommend this book for sure.

"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a powerful novel that explores themes of race, identity, and belonging. It is a story of a young girl, Ifemelu, and boy, Obinze, from Nigeria. Ifemelu moves to the United States to attend college and experiences a series of cultural shocks and identity crises as she navigates the complexities of American society. Obinze's journey takes him to the UK after being denied a visa to the US, and his struggles to adjust to life as an undocumented immigrant. Throughout the novel, the author tackles complex issues with sensitivity. She explores the challenges of being an immigrant and the ways in which race and culture intersect with identity. Adichie's writing is both powerful and insightful, and her characters are complex and deeply human. Her writing is both poetic and easy, making the readers immerse themselves in the world she is portraying and can establish a connect with the characters on a personal level. Overall, "Americanah" is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that offers a powerful commentary on race, identity, and the immigrant experience. It is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring these themes and delving into the complex and often messy world of human relationships. This novel does leave an impression on the reader.

In Nigerian slang, the term Americanah refers to a native who has gone away to live in the United States for a considerable period of time, before immigrating back to Nigeria. The plot revolves around two young Nigerian lovers, Ifemelu and Orbinze, break up and move to the west, focusing more on their own personal experiences as immigrants, one in the USA, and the other in the UK. When they move back to Nigeria, neither has forgotten the other and their unique journeys bind them together when they finally meet again . This is my first foray into Adichie’s writing and I can already tell she is fantastic at writing characters in such a painstaking detailed way almost guaranteeing you connecting to more people than one when you’re done. It’s difficult to find a writer so attuned to the contemporary politics of race who writes remarkable books that offer up a view of the world from multiple perspectives from different corners of the world. This has everything I could’ve wanted to know more about Racism in the west ✔️ Class hierarchy ✔️ Intersectional Feminism ✔️ Immigrant injustices ✔️ Politics of Black hair✔️ A complex affair ✔️ Corruption culture in Nigeria ✔️ You may be enthralled by the love story or just interested in current racial and immigrant injustices or both. Makes me want to read everything she’s ever written because she is just THAT good. “If you’re telling a non-black person about something racist that happened to you, make sure you are not bitter. Don’t complain. Be forgiving. If possible, make it funny. Most of all, do not be angry. Black people are not supposed to be angry about racism. Otherwise you get no sympathy. This applies only for white liberals, by the way. Don’t even bother telling a white conservative about anything racist that happened to you. Because the conservative will tell you that YOU are the real racist and your mouth will hang open in confusion.” I say this with full conviction, Americanah has the potential of becoming a modern classic. I am definitely recommending this to everyone I know.

Reviews are misleading. Hardly a love story, except at the beginning of the book, where there is tenderness, fragility, tradegy. And suddenly everything becomes easy breezy, and the pathos ends. Too many conversations that make the book seem pretentious, which it isn't.

If you want to read about what it's like to go to America and settle there, this book is for you. The book is a bit long but it will have you rooting for the main characters, Ifemelu & Obinze (although Ifemelu's character has no depth, she is literally dissatisfied and always complaining). It tells about how black people suffer from race discrimination in America, no matter where they come from. This book also tells about how difficult life is for migrants in the England. At times saddening but the ending is what one might give a thumbs up. I loved reading it. Will recommend everyone!

Very beautifully written book! The story starts from Lagos, Nigeria and moves to US and UK and finally closes back in Lagos. It's about a young Nigerian couple who fall in love only to be separated by their aspirations to move abroad - one moves to US and the other to UK. Their journeys through their early years in a new country and the struggles of securing citizenship are hard and very beautifully depicted. The book delves on various aspects of racism - both the protagonists of the story are blacks. The book covers at some length many aspects and issues about racism and these are so revealing. The story ends with the rediscovery of love and the reunion of the couple is handled so well in the writing. This is my first book by this writer and already looking forward to reading some of her other popular titles.

A fierce story, telling the tale of an immigrant who is longing for her home even while being in a seemingly perfect and a better world, bringing out the nuances in the heart of the protagonist. The most important theme that it revolves around is racism- how black people are treated in America, both AB and NAB. Beautiful writing style.