AMERICANAH

By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
 
I know I am a bit late to the party, but I LOVED this book!  Honestly, all this time it’s been on my to-read list, I thought it was non-fiction.  So I was thrilled to discover a smart, funny novel so full of love and thoughtfulness.
 
Adichie’s voice is witty and contemporary in a way that made me sure I was reading someone of my own age and generation.  And yet she also captures a sense of non-American-ness that is central to her story. Ifemelu, the protagonist, is a young woman from Nigeria who has made a life and career for herself in various east coast cities in the U.S.  She has decided, after 15 years, to return to Nigeria, and that prompts her to think back on her childhood in Lagos and her years in America.
 
The story feels personal, like she is opening herself up slowly to you.  Her observations about race, many of them in the form of blog posts are eye-opening and honest.  This is certainly one of the best books I have read in a while, and I wish it continued for the next 15 years of Ifemelu’s life! (Lily)