From the award-winning, bestselling author of We Should All Be Feminists and Half of a Yellow Sun—the story of two Nigerians making their way in the U.S. and the UK, raising universal questions of race, belonging, the overseas experience for the African diaspora, and the search for identity and a home.Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. … 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.
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I really expected to enjoy this book more. I liked it because it made me think. It made me examine my feelings towards racial attitudes. This is the author’s intention and the book delivers in this respect.
I laughed at the challenges of adapting to semantic and cultural differences in another country that shares an apparent common language. I …
Great book! Totally original with characters that are true to life. It has drama and romance and I also learned more about the Nigerian culture. Highly recommended.
This is an epic love story, which charts the journey of childhood sweethearts, Ifemelu and Obinze. Ifemelu leaves Nigeria for America and must navigate what being black in America entails, eventually blogging to find a voice for her experience. There is so much to love in this book; especially Ifem’s relationships with Aunty Uju, one-time …
This book really had a great effect on me. Chimamanda writes so freely as if she is speaking to you directly and her works are very relatable!
read like a memoir but it wasn’t
“The human stories that matter are those that endure.”
And this is definitely a story that will endure for sure. I can see myself picking this up again and again throughout future years and learning something new each time. Americanah is a multilayered story about Nigerian teenage loves Ifemelu and Obinze, how they fell apart, and their different …
Americanah has wonderful characters, and settings. It never gets boring because there are so many different settings in this book, and they all seem real. This is one of the only books I’d read in college that I genuinely enjoyed.
Chimamanda Adichie creates a rich world in 3 countries: Nigeria, UK and the US. As the the thread of Ifemulu’s life spins out, we share her struggles as a teenager, an immigrant, a woman and a person trying to find her way in multiple worlds. Realistic and interesting characters, intensely assimilated Galinka, needy boyfriend Curt, smooth lover …
Great for book club…… discuss race, relationships and powerful women! I highly recommend.
Beautiful read
Witty, insightful, and well-written. A wonderful book.
A sweeping personal epic of a Nigerian woman’s experience in the United States and an exploration of what it means to be black in the US.
Changing countries gives you a unique perspective on both the country you move to and the one you came from. There are years’ worth of differences to remark on and describe to yourself or your friends. Ifemelu’s blog is a good way to do it if you go alone and don’t have friends yet. In her case, she came from a country where everyone was black …
I loved HALF OF A YELLOW SUN many years ago, and AMERICANAH lived up to my expectations and opened my eyes to the cultural lives of Nigerians in the West and in Africa. Splitting my life between the UK and Africa, much of this resonates with me, but I was fascinated by the complex cultural politics when the central character makes a life in the US …
Smart and powerful. Adichie pulls you into the story as soon as it starts.
As a child of immigrants I resonated with this book’s story of African American v. African. While the characters can be frustrating at times, the story of struggle, heartbreak and what the stakes really are for immigrants is so powerful and relatable. This book was my first time reading a novel that dealt with these kinds of themes that hit so …
This book deserves ALL of its accolades and more! I am such a fan of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s writing, but ‘Americanah’ remains my favorite work of hers.
In this novel about the migratory experience of, a young Nigerian woman, Ifemulu, in studying, working and living as a black woman in the United States, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie opens up a …
Beautiful cross cultural. Learned so much. Vivid language. Page turner
Everyone should read this book. Especially in a world with so much hate and fear about specific issues like race, culture, immigration, privilege and prejudice — Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tackles all those themes and makes you think, really think, about your life and the world.
This book revolves around two people, Ifemelu and …
Wonderful book. Enough said.