Americanah

By: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh

Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014.

From the award-winning author of Half of a Yellow Sun, a powerful story of love, race and identity.

As teenagers in Lagos, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are fleeing the country if they can. The self-assured Ifemelu departs for America. There she suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Thirteen years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a blogger. But after so long apart and so many changes, will they find the courage to meet again, face to face?

Fearless, gripping, spanning three continents and numerous lives, the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Americanah is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today’s globalised world.

©2013 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (P)2013 W F Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

“Actress Adjoa Andoh brings to life Adichie’s complex, beautifully wrought novel – which is both a love story and a nuanced analysis of political topics including systemic racism in America; immigration in the UK; and the class system in Nigeria.” (Vogue)

"One of the previous decade’s landmark novels [...] Andoh is a skilled, exciting narrator." (The Times)

"Andoh's rich voice and distinct characters and rhythm keep the listener engrossed.... Andoh has fun adopting a mocking lilt for Ifemelu's snarky blog entries.... [and] a more serious tone brings authenticity to the heartbreak of Obinze's London experience." ( AudioFile)

Engrossing and enlightening

The narrator brought the characters alive, much better than if I read it myself. I will seek out more of this author's work.

Interesting and a bit disturbing

The narrator goes home to Nigeria, and makes herself at home despite the challenges that presumably sent her away in the first place. The parts describing her uneasy years in the US seem spot-on. The parts in Nigeria are also interesting and insightful but I find it hard to believe the happy ending. Her lover comes back to her, but he is married, and has gotten rich through corruption. Is this so great? Maybe there is something I am not getting. I would have expected someone so insightful to grapple with that a bit more.

Good Read

Initially, I struggled to get into the story but so glad I stuck with it. It is truly an charming and thought provoking story.

Pure poetry

This book is an example of how good writing is a true gift; and this author is beyond blessed with it!

Loved! - An American Born Nigerian

What I loved most about this book is that it challenges all of the traditional stereotypes placed on Nigerian women. I often think about being the woman Ifemelu is, so to hear the embodiment of my secret hopes in a character fuels me to aspire more to being my own woman. Carrying on of the traditional norms are no more. The book not only reflects the changes of time within America, but also Nigeria.
I was also surprised how much I related to the story even though I was born and raised in America. This book helped me further understand some of the conflicts between Nigerian and American culture I’d previously chalked up to “this is just how things are.” I loved this story and I highly recommend it!
I did give 4 stars for performance because some of the accents weren’t the best renditions, but very good nonetheless. 5 stars overall!!

Fantastic read!!!

The American accents weren't the very best but aside from that, everything was perfect. What a talented and captivating narrator and Chimamanda is a wonderful author! This book completely pulled me in and I am looking forward to reading everything else she has now. Just fantastic!!!

Deeply felt, funny, and true

A wonderful book made spectacular by Adjoa Andoh’s performance. I honestly want to listen to everything she’s recorded.

Lovely

The book had many layers and it was appealing to the very last word. The narration was also well done.

Anxiously read at every opportunity

What made the experience of listening to Americanah the most enjoyable?

This book helped me to better understand the thoughts of non-American blacks. It will also help me to explain some things to my classes next year (ie why there is a need for black magazines and black television.)

What other book might you compare Americanah to and why?

This book reminds me of The House on Sugar Beach, only because they are both written by Africans (Nigerian and Liberian) who don't completely understand the Black American experience.

Have you listened to any of Adjoa Andoh’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to Andoh's performances, but I find her to be very good. I do wish that there was someone else to do the true American parts because her American English was truly lacking, I did appreciate her reading of the African names.

If you could rename Americanah, what would you call it?

African Americanah

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed listening to this book so much, I ordered the book. I willread excerpts of this with my Black American Literature classes.

A must-read for every American! (and for everyone else too!)

This a truly superb novel! Adichie's characters provide a very thoughtful examination of love, race, and ethnicity in our globalized world. Everyone should read this in order to brust free from their bubble! If more Americans read this, so many complex issues would be understood so clearly.
The narrator really brings the characters to life, mindfully portraying all their linguistic nuances. An absolute joy to listen to!