Once again, welcome Keith Francis  a.k.a. “Wu Young, of Up Here On Cloud 9 to DopeReads for his review of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah.

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Last year, after completing Half of a Yellow Sun I realized one thing: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie can flat-out write. Adichie writes expertly layered characters that stick with the reader. Characters crafted by Adichie manage to elicit emotions, both positive and negative, that are aided by their placement in varying environments that help them push the storyline in compelling directions.

Fortunately, for the readers of her new novel, Americanah she continues this trend by pulling her readers into the world of two young Nigerians, Ifemelu (Ifem) and Obinze who fall in love as teens. It is the relationship of Ifem and Obinze that serve as the trunk of Americanah, supporting the novel and keeping is strong while themes of race, domestic Nigerian politics, class, natural hair, mental health, and desire all serve as branches that cover three continents. Continue reading →