Behold the Dreamers
Books | Fiction / Literary
4.2
(570)
Imbolo Mbue
A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream—the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economyNew York Times Bestseller • Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • Longlisted for the PEN/Open Book Award • An ALA Notable BookNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The New York Times Book Review • San Francisco Chronicle • The Guardian • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Chicago Public Library • BookPage • Refinery29 • Kirkus Reviews Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses’ summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future. However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades. When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.Praise for Behold the Dreamers“A debut novel by a young woman from Cameroon that illuminates the immigrant experience in America with the tenderhearted wisdom so lacking in our political discourse . . . Mbue is a bright and captivating storyteller.”—The Washington Post “A capacious, big-hearted novel.”—The New York Times Book Review“Behold the Dreamers’ heart . . . belongs to the struggles and small triumphs of the Jongas, which Mbue traces in clean, quick-moving paragraphs.”—Entertainment Weekly “Mbue’s writing is warm and captivating.”—People (book of the week) “[Mbue’s] book isn’t the first work of fiction to grapple with the global financial crisis of 2007–2008, but it’s surely one of the best. . . . It’s a novel that depicts a country both blessed and doomed, on top of the world, but always at risk of losing its balance. It is, in other words, quintessentially American.”—NPR “This story is one that needs to be told.”—Bust “Behold the Dreamers challenges us all to consider what it takes to make us genuinely content, and how long is too long to live with our dreams deferred.”—O: The Oprah Magazine“[A] beautiful, empathetic novel.”—The Boston Globe “A witty, compassionate, swiftly paced novel that takes on race, immigration, family and the dangers of capitalist excess.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Mbue [is] a deft, often lyrical observer. . . . [Her] meticulous storytelling announces a writer in command of her gifts.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
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More Details:
Author
Imbolo Mbue
Pages
416
Publisher
Random House Publishing Group
Published Date
2017-06-26
ISBN
0525509712 9780525509714
Community ReviewsSee all
"While the Cameroon immigrants at the center of this story are smart and resourceful, the picture that the book paints of US immigration is bleak. The vitality that Jende and Neni bring to the story contrasts sharply with their mounting desperation as they get hit by economic disaster and immigration bureaucracy. I was surprised and saddened by the ending. The immigration story will only get worse. UPDATE: I raised my rating from four stars to five stars. The story has remained in my head longer than other books to which I gave four stars. I also recommend Exit West by Mohsin Hamid."
"I really liked this novel especially when I started it. I enjoyed the characters. I loved Neni and Mighty's relationship. Somewhere near the end something changed for me...maybe that was the point. Either way, I felt things and cared for the characters which made the reading experience that much better."
"A study in what the American Dream looks like for two couples: one African immigrants, the other wealthy White Americans. The story takes place during the recession of 2008 and uses the fall of Lehman Brothers to show how those events touched the lives of not just the 1%, but the other 99% as well. Marriage, parenting, work ethic, depression, and the classism that is dispensed among different tiers within social structures are also examined by the author. Mbue’s own experiences as a Cameroonian immigrant lend validity to the story and actualize the characters. One can’t help but cheer on Neni’s ambition (even when her actions or motives are sometimes questionable); Jende’s despair upon realizing that the America her dreamed of is not that attainable for a Black man; Mighty’s youthful sorrow at having a front row seat to the demise of his parents marriage; Cindy’s frantic run from her past and attempts to paint a perfect picture of her present; and by the books end, Clark’s appreciation for family and his role as a father. The issue of our country’s flawed immigration system is a character unto itself in the book as well, providing a glimpse at the tedious and often unsuccessful process that is certainly the reality of many immigrants, particularly those of color."