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Americanah

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Start date: August 15, 2014

Finish date: September 1, 2014

Discussion: Reading List

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Reading List

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What Members Thought

Jul 25, 2014 Sherry rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-list, kindle

I am a white woman who grew up in the Jim Crow south. It has taken a lot of reading, thinking, and caring to try and extricate myself from the legacy of racism I grew up with. I was lucky to have a mother and father who taught me better, but others in my family (most notably my grandfather) were flagrant, unapologetic racists. I thank Adiche for helping Americans see how they look like from the outside.

I am guilty for seeing Africa as "having one story" as she talks about in her TED talk here: h ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2019 Inder rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 1001-books, 21st-century, africa, race, read-2019

This book has so much that is interesting to say about race and identity in Nigeria and the US (and a little bit of the UK as well), but I just didn't find it to be compelling. Ifemelu, the heroine, seems to care little for the feelings of those around her, and leaves a trail of broken hearts behind her. Her selfishness is perhaps human, but that plus her self-righteousness makes her a somewhat shallow character. Her love affair with Obinze didn't draw me in that much and the happy ending didn't ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 15, 2014 Jennie rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookclub, african-americans, women, africa

I struggled to find a thread of the story to latch onto, and I struggled to find a character who could be "mine". However, the story of coming up and making independent (and sometimes terrible) decisions was compelling. I recommend this book to illustrate coming of age and finding a home. ...more

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Sep 22, 2014 Joyce rated it liked it

Shelves: book-club-choice, the-great-american-read

My son and I both read this. At its heart it appears to be a love story and it brought to mind Wuthering Heights with a better outcome. I found myself rooting for true love to win out. The racial aspects were also deeply fascinating.

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