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READ ALSO: Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Used & Americanah Summary
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Americanah
After reading Americanah, I understood why my mother thought I would like it more than Half of a Yellow Sun.
Americanah is truly a turn-of-the-21st-century African story that mirrors many experiences I have lived myself, down to the fact that the book’s main character Ifemulu becomes a blogger. 😀
Although I said I liked Half of a Yellow Sun more—which is quite surprising because I am not usually one for wartime stories—Americanah told a story that was so delightful in its familiarity. (In hindsight, I think I couldn’t connect with some of the issues Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie raised about race in Americanah, especially all the energy with which Ifemelu writes about them in her blog posts. I could understand the issues and recognize what she was saying, having lived in North America for 8 years, but it’s just no longer part of my reality now that I live in Africa again.)
The scenes of Ifemelu getting her hair braided in an African hair salon in the U.S., along with all the characters she meets there, had me nodding and laughing in recognition.
The scene towards the end of the novel where Ifemelu attends a Nigerpolitan Club meeting for people who had returned to Nigeria after living or studying abroad, could have been any number of social situations I’ve experienced in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, or any other East African capital.
The central story of the love affair between Ifemelu and Obinze, though, was a serious challenge to my moral compass. Why? Because when childhood sweethearts Ifemelu and Obinze get in touch again after years of no contact, Obinze has a wife.
I have never rooted so hard for something I am generally so fundamentally against! 😆
Thoughts on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Half a Yellow Sun & Americanah
Have you read either of these books before? If so, I’d like to hear what you thought about them (please leave me a comment in the comment section below!).
Personally, I LOVED both novels. They had me up all night, and I just couldn’t put them down!
I loved that the female African characters in these books were sassy, intelligent, strong, and that they showed agency.
I particularly liked how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tackled the sexuality of her African female protagonists.
In these books, their sexuality is visceral, hearty, unashamed, and owned by themselves.
Another thing I enjoyed was how both books jumped back and forth in time. This did a great job of keeping us in suspense with regard to certain key plot points.
I loved the Africanness of both novels. I loved that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie sprinkled the books liberally with Igbo, her native language and the native language of many of her characters.
Even in the scenes that take place in urban Nigeria, she sprinkles dialogue with English as it is spoken there.
For instance, the word ‘Americanah’, which comes up in conversation when Americanah‘s main characters are still in high school in Lagos, is a Nigerian term used to refer to a person who goes to the US and then returns to Nigeria with American affectations.
Race in Americanah
The commentary about race in Americanah—especially in Ifemelu’s blog posts—was biting, and it was refreshing to hear someone tell it like it is.
If I am honest, though, this is not what moved me most about the book.
Like Ifemelu, and Ms. Adichie, I’ve been lucky enough to live most of my life in places where race hasn’t been my primary definer.
AIthough I could relate to what Ifemulu/Ms. Adichie was saying, I didn’t relate to it very powerfully.
In both novels, Ms. Adichie, using her gift with words and what must be a keen power of observation, weaves stories and worlds that completely suck you in.
The scene I recall most from Half of a Yellow Sun, for instance, is one that mentions a minor insignificant character, whose name we are never sure of and who isn’t even mentioned until after he is already dead.
Ms. Adichie tells this young boy’s story so elegantly and eloquently, that I spent the whole day after I finished the book moping about, weeping (figuratively not literally) for Biafra and this little boy.
Watch Ms. Adichie discuss love, race, and hair in a television interview…
Now I’d Like to Hear from You
Have you ever read Half of a Yellow Sun or Americanah? If so, please share your thoughts on these books in the comment section below.
I am particularly keen to hear from non-Africans to find out if these books are as enjoyable when you are not African.
If you haven’t read either of these novels, I recommend them wholeheartedly! You can purchase them here and here on Amazon (you can also follow those links for more reviews).
If you ever do get round to reading them, again, please let me know what you thought of them in the comments below.
Until the next time,
Biche
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