Read: Americanah

I am thrilled to report that I am on a lucky streak and the last 4 books I’ve read have been spectacular! I was in a bit of a slump in the spring and kept picking up “best sellers” that just didn’t live up to the hype. (Hello The Goldfinch!) I don’t share the mediocre ones with you all because I’ve vowed to only blog about things I can speak positively of on this site. In keeping with that promise here is my new favorite – Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. IT IS FABULOUS! From the first page to the last I was intrigued by the narrator’s mercurial personality and her strong opinionated insights. This was the first novel I have read that speaks truthfully about growing up in the middle and upper classes in Africa. It paints a picture of more than civil wars and starving populations. While the story of those living the toughest lives in Africa is hugely important to retell, I think it is also important that we see a full-bodied picture of all the lives being led on this continent to really understand it’s full culture. It’s also a jarringly honest look at what it is like to come to the US and UK illegally – trying to make a life for yourself in the “land of plenty”. It was an eye-opening read and I couldn’t put this book down.