Chimamanda ngozi adichies most powerful and astonishing novel yet. This guide is a tool to enhance your groups conversation about. This study guide consists of approximately 96 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of americanah. She likes princeton, but its population is mostly white and so there are no hairdressers there who know how to braid her hair. But before kitty can talk to her friend, it is too late. Americanah is quite explicitly a book about race and african identity, but there are many moments when it transcends these themes. Read americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie available from rakuten kobo.
May 14, 20 chimamanda adichies americanah is about a young nigerian woman who moves to the u. Ifemelu, a nigerian woman living in america, gets her hair braided at an african salon. Americanah is that rare thing in contemporary literary fiction. Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie, paperback barnes. Her third book, the thing around your neck 2009, is a collection of short stories. This lesson provides a summary and analysis of chimamanda ngozi adichies 20 novel, americanah. For each chapter of americanah, you will find a set of invitations and a set of discussion. Ten quotes from chimamanda ngozi adichies novel americanah, the featured book for the next bushwick book club event at elliott bay books, february 10. Discussion of themes and motifs in chimamanda ngozi adichies americanah. Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie bbc africa book club duration. Jennifer reese on americanah, by chimamanda ngozi adichie chimamanda ngozi adichies latest, americanah, follows the trials and tribulations of ifemelu, a middleclass nigerian. Were following it up with another thoughtprovoking pick for.
Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie book club discussion. Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie reading guidebook. Get all the key plot points of chimamanda ngozi adichies americanah on one page. Discussion questions for americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie these discussion questions were prepared by the national network to end domestic violence nnedv for the reader with a cause book club on goodreads.
Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Americanah, by chimamanda ngozi adichie the new york times. In 2010 she was listed among the authors of the new yorker. Americanah is a book of great impact and importance. Adichies style of writing is familiar and personal, and her depiction of the african diaspora scathingly casts many of her main characters as a particularly loathsome type of east coast intellectual. The book club guide for part 7 of americanah center for the. She liked, most of all, that in this place of affluent ease, she could pretend to be someone else, someone specially admitted into the hallowed american club, someone adorned with certainty. Babette audant suggests the following piece in connection with teaching americanah. The novel begins as she takes the train from princeton, new jersey, the posh university town where she has a fellowship as a writer, to trenton, new jersey, a nearby city that is much poorer, to get braids done before returning to nigeria. This 56page guide for americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 55 chapters, as well as several more indepth. At the first freely mag meeting of the semester, our lead editor alex mentioned that he was planning on creating an international club. Americanah is social satire masquerading as romantic comedy. In particular, the sacrifices and compromises people make to succeed or survive.
Americanah, by chimamanda ngozi adichie, is the story of young lovers ifemelu and obinze who meet as teenagers growing up in nigeria. Did you find the characters in americanah likeable. Its a story of relocation, farflung love and life as an outsider. My pick for book club was americanah by nigerian author chimamanda ngozi adichie. Adichies story ceiling was included in the 2011 edition of the best american short stories. Its difficult to find a page that lacks an impacting passage, but weve narrowed it down to ten thoughtprovoking quotes. This is the one book by an african writer that has spoken to me more than any other. Sometimes that is easier than others depending on how often food is talked about in the particular book youre reading. As teenagers in a lagos secondary school, ifemelu and obinze fall in love.
This is a powerful novel by an insightful author whos adept at crafting layers of story. Fayth not that i am aware of, but you can listen to the audio book or a sample of the audio book here on goodreads and hear some of the names. Chapters 4851 in chimamanda ngozi adichies americanah. Ifemelu, a young nigerian woman living in princeton, new jersey, decides to move back to nigeria and reconnects with her first. This is a summary and analysis of the book and not the original book. The book alternates between their two stories, as well as in the past and present, but the writing is so perfect this all works seamlessly. Adichie introduces ifemelu at a time when she has created a successful identity for herself as an american. Ifemelu, a nigerian woman living in princeton, new jersey, must travel to another town to get her hair braided properly. It is a book that speaks truths profound and witty. The novel explores the life of a young nigerian woman who moves to america and experiences racism. There is mocking, but not without lovebeyond race, the book is about the immigrants quest. Americanah by chimananda ngozi adichie the new book from nigerian writer chimamanda ngozi adichie is a knockout of a novel about immigration that transcends genre. How much does your own race affect the experience of reading this or any novel. At the frankfurt book fair, adichie commented on likable characters in fiction, saying, women writers are expected to make their female characters likeable, as though the full humanity of a female person must in the end meet the careful limitations of likability.
Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie chronicles the lives and relationships of. Here is mymore not that i am aware of, but you can listen to the audio book or a sample of the audio book here on goodreads and hear some of the names. Readers guide the questions, discussion topics, and other material that follow are intended to enhance your groups conversation about americanah, chimamanda ngozi acichies powerful, moving story of a young man and woman from nigeria who trace the difficult paths of migration, exile, and homecoming in a rapidly changing, globalized world. Americanah ebook by chimamanda ngozi adichie rakuten kobo. She interacts with the women there and remembers her past. At the frankfurt book fair, adichie commented on likable characters in fiction. Adichies beautiful novel explores themes ranging from the impacts of nigerias instability to american racism while ifemelu and o. Joining a book club is something i have always wanted to do but until today i never got the opportunity. The story examines the struggles of trying to assimilate into a different culture while trying to maintain ones own identity. They form an instant bond, but when ifemelu moves to america, obinze is unable to go with her. Americanah is a courageous, worldclass novel about independence, integrity, community, and loveand what it takes to become a full human being. The novel traces ifemelus life in both countries, threaded by her love story with high school classmate obinze. Ifemelu, a young nigerian woman living in princeton, new jersey, decides to move back to nigeria and reconnects with her. Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, americanah is a richly told story set in todays globalized world.
To learn more about americanah, read the introductory post. Has anyone published a pronunciation guide to the names in americanah. A scene in a braiding salon, which unfolds over the course of the book, has more to say about the politics of selfimage than any novel in recent memory. Reading guide for americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie.
Like those in the novels nigerpolitan club, they have become critical of their native land and culture. He eventually moves to england where he stays as an illegal immigrant. This is a book about africa and the african diasporic experience in the usa and england, a backdrop for the love story between ifemelu and obinze, teenagers attending a nigerian university who have to leave. The term americanah is used for nigerians who have been changed by having lived in america. Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie plot summary litcharts. Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie pdf download. For this book club we always meet at someones house and the host prepares food that is somehow thematically tied to the book. I will not stop though, the posts just wont be as frequent.
Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie chronicles the lives and relationships of two young nigerians named ifemelu and obinze, and explores the culture of the united states from. American life is not as it appears on television, discovers the nigerian heroine of this unendingly perceptive culture. A young woman from nigeria leaves behind her home and her first love to starta new life in america, only to find her dreams are not all she expected. Perfect prep for americanah quizzes and tests you might have in school. Discussion questions for americanah by chimamanda ngozi. Title of a book, article or other published item this will display to the public. The bestselling novel from the awardwinning author of we should all be feminists and dear ijeawele. Some questions suggested by or adapted from the random house readers guide. I am reading americanah, and im about half way through. May 14, 20 from the awardwinning author of half of a yellow sun comes a dazzling novel.
Hair is a big deal in americanah the slang term that ifemelus lagos. From the awardwinning author of half of a yellow sun comes a dazzling novel. This is a fascinating look at racism in america from the perspective of a young nigerian woman. New bookclub book americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie november 21, 2014. Americanah tells the story of a young nigerian woman, ifemelu, who immigrates to the united states to attend university. Americanah chimamanda ngozi adichie, 20 knopf doubleday 588 pp. Americanah, by chimamanda ngozi adichie, is the story of young lovers ifemelu and obinze who meet as teenagers. Americanah summary and study guide supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature.
The story of two nigerians making their way in the u. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of americanah and what it means. Americanah is a 20 novel by the nigerian author chimamanda ngozi adichie, for which adichie won the 20 national book critics circle fiction award. They were sanctified, the returnees, back home with an extra gleaming layer. Fiction, africa, contemporary fiction, feminism, literary fiction see more on goodreads. They were sanctified, the returnees, back home with an extra gleaming layer 408. She notes in her blog post on the nigerpolitan club that attempting to change lagos is futile because lagos will always be its eclectic self, which sounds similar to ifemelus own journey. Meanwhile obinze, a rich man living in nigeria, emails ifemelu and remembers his own past.
Americanah tells the story of a smart, strongwilled nigerian woman named ifemelu who, after she leaves africa for america, endures several harrowing years of near destitution before. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. How much does your own race affect the experience of reading this. The next bushwick event, original music inspired by chimamanda ngozi adichies americanah, is happening this friday at elliott bay book co. Ifemelu is a young woman from nigeria living in the united states. But more than anything else, americanah is a book about life and hope. We hope you enjoyed reading and discussing our inaugural book club selection. All attempts to change or improve ifemelusuch as aunty ujus warnings not to speak her mind or blaines organic foodsultimately fail.