Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

As suspected, I absolutely loved this. Can Chimamanda do no wrong?! The novel won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Fiction award and focuses on the central character of Ifemelu, a young Nigerian woman who immigrates to the US for university, leaving her boyfriend Obinze behind. The novel documents moments in Ifemelu's life, both past and present, and her love story with Obinze is threaded throughout.

Despite Ifemelu's academic achievements, her struggle living as a black woman in America penetrates life every day. She begins a blog, discussing racial issues in America, and finds herself with thousands of followers and fans. She dates a couple of men in America, and the novel explores her experience in a biracial couple. Adichie's writing is so thought-provoking and syrupy smooth, you completely lose yourself and all sense of time when reading her work. A pretty lengthy book of 500-plus pages became a three-day escape.

To give you a flavour of some of the novel's discussion, here is one particularly poignant quote: 

“The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America. When you are black in America and you fall in love with a white person, race doesn’t matter when you’re alone together because it’s just you and your love. But the minute you step outside, race matters. But we don’t talk about it."

The novel, particularly excerpts from Ifemelu's blog, reminded me in some ways of Reni Eddo-Lodge's 'Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race'. If you enjoyed that non-fiction text, this is the fiction companion for you. The author forces you to question everyday behaviours and see life through the lens of a black immigrant living in the states. And, interestingly, Adichie's protagonist is a well-educated and privileged Nigerian woman, which is quite different from many of the novels I've read which discuss race.

Ifemelu and Obinze's long-term love affair is such a beautiful thread in the novel and so brilliantly portrayed by the author. It is romance whilst being realistic and raw. You find yourself on the edge of your seat just hoping that they end up together. Although the plot of the novel is fairly simple, without copious amounts of 'action', there is no lack in content. The pages are filled with small, and some larger, anecdotes which piece together to form a beautiful and compelling novel. Please read Chimamanda - you'll never look back!