Hiranmaya

Some books need no introduction. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche is one of them. It follows the interwoven story of Ifemelu and Obinze as they navigate their childhood and adulthood. Ifemelu has the opportunity to study in America but comes face to face with the struggles of being black for the first time. Obinze tries to follow her but instead ends up as an undocumented immigrant in London. 

What is so striking about this novel is that, somehow, she finds a way to articulate emotions that I didn’t even know I had. This power Adiche has over words she uses to give depth to the novel. She is able to capture all the intricacies of Obinze and Ifemelu in a way that allows us to really see these characters;

they become even more than characters in a book, they feel like real people.

The coolest thing about this book is that the reader is dropped into one moment of time at the beginning of the novel but the flashbacks are woven into the present so well. I feel as though usually when I read a novel that makes these transitions, it ends up becoming messy; Adiche makes it look easy to write like this. However, I do think this book could have done with stronger editing. Some parts of the book drag on but overall, it is beautiful chaos.

This book felt like a love story between the author and herself. This novel voices the struggle to understand your own identity in a world where no one really knows who they are. How do you define yourself when everyone else is more willing to do that for you? Do you ever find out who you really are? This is the question at the root of this novel. While most books leave you thinking about the story, this one leaves you thinking about yourself. 

Americanah discusses everything from interracial couples to being black in American to being black in Africa to love to immigration to emigration. I would recommend this book to everyone looking to learn something new, about the world or even themselves.