AMERICANAH

I finally got to read one of the finest books of the century this month,from my favorite author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Americanah is a romantic book with lots of sincerity.Ifemelu and Obinze are young college students in love when they leave military-ruled Nigeria. She leaves for America on a scholarship, while he plunges into an undocumented life in London. For the first time in their lives they struggle with what it means to be black. They are the lead characters in the award-winning novel “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The book is many things: a romance, a story about immigration and a series of observations about race and what it means to be American. 

I was not able to put the book down when I started  reading it. Americanah speaks of real life issues that people go through .It is a powerful book bringing out the issues of identity,It is also very captivating and engaging speaking of different characters who bring out how it is to live in America.The short excerpts of Ifemelu's blog posts are  very interesting.

A recurring theme of the blogs is the politics of black hair,how women are expected to relax their natural hair or weave in order to conform to comfortable white norms.Ifemelu tells us of her transition of her hair from long to short then to long,all this attributing it to her life changes. In fact, much of the novel is written in flashback, as Ifemelu has her hair braided in a New Jersey salon in preparation for going home to Nigeria after 15 years in America, during which she has witnessed Barack Obama's election victory.

I found the book fascinating and very readable. It does not lose the messages that the author seeks to provide the reader. Racism is a constant theme in the book as is life in America for black Americans and non-American blacks. The idea of blogging as a way to share knowledge very intriguing.
Adichie is a wonderful writer as evidenced in her previous books.

#Cindy