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Behold the Dreamers

Imbolo Mbue

Start date: July 1, 2020

Finish date: July 28, 2020

Discussion: Country and Territories

Why we're reading this: Countries/Territories: Cameroon

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
[close] Countries/Territories: Cameroon

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

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What Members Thought

Aug 19, 2017 Aura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: new-york, oprah, immigrants

I used to read Oprah' book recommendations religiously. Most were good to great. When she ended her book club, I never followed her book recommendations again until Behold the Dreamers and I am so glad to be back in.
I like books about immigrants and the immigrant experience in the US throughout history in particular. I assume Ms. Mbue is African because her perspective in this novel is that of an African family in search of the American dream from Cameroon. I am also an immigrant and this story ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Aug 09, 2017 Maya B rated it liked it · review of another edition

A sad story that seems nothing more than a dream deferred. I really liked the character development of Jende and Neni. The author's African background made it really authentic. I found telling the story from the viewpoint of African immigrants to be very unique ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 24, 2017 Jeanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: african-african-american, read-around-the-world, read-women, read-2017

As I go from one book to another, I find accidental themes. In this case, I read Death of Josseline, nonfiction about immigration across the Mexican/Arizona border, then Behold the Dreamers, a novel about immigrants from Cameroon who don't have a green card. Each book offers an often-grim window view into the immigrant experience.

Dreamers is technically not an epistolary novel, yet its short chapters, flipping back and forth between the experiences and perspectives of the Cameroonian couple at t As I go from one book to another, I find accidental themes. In this case, I read Death of Josseline, nonfiction about immigration across the Mexican/Arizona border, then Behold the Dreamers, a novel about immigrants from Cameroon who don't have a green card. Each book offers an often-grim window view into the immigrant experience.

Dreamers is technically not an epistolary novel, yet its short chapters, flipping back and forth between the experiences and perspectives of the Cameroonian couple at the center of this book, often feel like short "letters." Jende gets short glimpses into Clark's life as Jende drives him and his family around New York City, often through Clark's short, frequently frustrated or irritated phone calls. Neni's glimpses are similarly brief, but occur in more varied settings – as her hair is braided, as she worries about Clark's wife, as she talks to her college faculty.

As Imbolo Mbue tells it, life is capricious and unpredictable: bad news has a way of slithering into good days and making a mockery of complacent joys (p. 56). Even when working hard, Jende and Neni lose jobs, have difficulty feeding and clothing their children, and completing school. In a heart-breaking scene, Neni's dean of students argues that he can't support her nomination for a scholarship, as she hasn't volunteered in the community – although she was working full-time, in school full-time, and parenting her young son. He later argued that she should choose another major:

“I’m simply wondering, Ms. Jonga, if perhaps another career path may be better suited for someone like you.”
“I want to be a pharmacist,” Neni said, no longer trying to disguise her anger.
“That’s great, and I commend you for that. But you came here today because you are desperate for money to finish school. You have two children, your husband doesn’t make enough money, and, by all accounts, you’re having a hard time making ends meet. Pharmacy school is very expensive, Ms. Jonga, and you’re an international student. Unless you change your legal status it’s going to be hard for you to get loans to get the degree, if you can find a way to get your associate’s from BMCC in the first place.” (p. 296)

The Jongas get a fair amount of luck that is augmented by their hard work, but they get an equal number of bad breaks. Who is right here? Neni or her dean?

Rich and privileged Clark and Cindy Edwards, while easy villains, were not portrayed in that way here. Yes, Clark worked at Lehman Brothers right before the housing bubble burst, but he was financially and emotionally generous with the Jonga family, as was his wife. They weren't two-dimensional figures, however. The Edwards made a series of bad decisions that affected both them and the Jongas.

Who had it easier? Both families had a difficult time in the wake of Lehman's fall, yet both were resilient in their own ways – even if they experienced different outcomes than they would have preferred and sacrificed some dreams for others.

(view spoiler) ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Aug 27, 2018 Alana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: foreign-culture, current-events, educational, political

"How could anyone have so much happiness and unhappiness skillfully wrapped up together?"

"Why was he always working? How could anyone love work that much?"

"In many different ways it would be an unprecedented plague, a calamity like the one that had befallen the Egyptians in the Old Testament. The only difference between the Egyptians then and the Americans now, Jende reasoned, was that the Egyptians had been cursed by their own wickedness. They had called an abomination upon their land by worshi ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2021 Musings on Living rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, ownvoices, group-book-read, black-author

A really great book that explores the immigration experiences of moving to America from Cameroon, Africa. It's very family oriented and character focused, so we were given an intimate look at two very different families trying to live the American dream. The approach was not one I expected and was charmed at the writing, even while several moments made me mad at what was happening. It was a great pick with many points for discussion and debate during book club. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review