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Americanah

A profound exploration of love and identity across cultures

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers

Published:27th Feb '14

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in other editions too:

Americanah cover

This poignant tale follows Ifemelu and Obinze as they navigate love, identity, and cultural challenges across continents. Americanah is a reflection on race and belonging.

In Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves a compelling narrative that follows the lives of Ifemelu and Obinze, two young lovers who leave their home in Nigeria amid political turmoil. As they navigate life in America and London, they confront the complexities of identity, race, and belonging. Ifemelu, in particular, faces the harsh realities of being a black woman in America, where her experiences force her to reevaluate her understanding of race and her own identity. Meanwhile, Obinze's journey takes him through the challenges of undocumented life in London, highlighting the struggles faced by many immigrants.

Fifteen years later, the story reunites Ifemelu and Obinze in a newly democratic Nigeria, where they rekindle their relationship and confront the changes that have shaped their lives. The novel explores themes of love, loss, and the quest for self-discovery against the backdrop of cultural and social challenges. Americanah is not just a love story; it is a profound exploration of the immigrant experience and the complexities of modern identity.

With its rich prose and relatable characters, Americanah has been hailed as a literary masterpiece. It resonates with readers across the globe, prompting them to reflect on their own experiences and the world around them. Adichie's storytelling is both fearless and gripping, making this novel a defining work of our time.

‘A brilliant novel: epic in scope, personal in resonance and with lots to say’ Elizabeth Day, Observer

‘A delicious, important novel from a writer with a great deal to say’ The Times

‘A brilliant exploration of being African in America … an urgent and important book, further evidence that its author is a real talent’ Sunday Telegraph

‘An extremely thoughtful, subtly provocative exploration of structural inequality, of different kinds of oppression, of gender roles, of the idea of home. Subtle, but not afraid to pull its punches’ Alex Clark, Guardian

‘A tour de force … The artistry with which Adichie keeps her story moving, while animating the complex anxieties in which the characters live and work, is hugely impressive’ Mail on Sunday

‘Adichie is terrific on human interactions … Adichie’s writing always has an elegant shimmer to it … Wise, entertaining and unendingly perceptive’ Independent on Sunday

‘Adichie paints on a grand canvas, boldly and confidently … This is a very funny, very warm and moving intergenerational epic that confirms Adiche’s virtuosity, boundless empathy and searing social acuity’ Dave Eggers

‘“An honest novel about race” … with guts and lustre … within the context of a well-crafted, compassionate, visceral and delicately funny tale of lasting high-school love and the sorrows and adventures of immigration’ Diana Evans, The Times

‘[A] long, satisfying novel of cross-continental relationships, exile and the pull of home … Adichie’s first novel for seven years and well worth the wait’ FT

‘Alert, alive and gripping’ Independent

ISBN: 9780007356348

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 31mm

Weight: 350g

400 pages