Behold the Dreamers: A Novel by Imbolo Mbue (English) Hardcover Book

Description: Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue Imbolo Mbues debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream tells the story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream—the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economyNew York Times Bestseller • Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • Longlisted for the PEN/Open Book Award • An ALA Notable BookNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The New York Times Book Review • San Francisco Chronicle • The Guardian • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Chicago Public Library • BookPage • Refinery29 • Kirkus Reviews Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clarks wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future. However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers façades. When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jendes job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.Praise for Behold the Dreamers"A debut novel by a young woman from Cameroon that illuminates the immigrant experience in America with the tenderhearted wisdom so lacking in our political discourse . . . Mbue is a bright and captivating storyteller."—The Washington Post "A capacious, big-hearted novel."—The New York Times Book Review"Behold the Dreamers heart . . . belongs to the struggles and small triumphs of the Jongas, which Mbue traces in clean, quick-moving paragraphs."—Entertainment Weekly "Mbues writing is warm and captivating."—People (book of the week) "[Mbues] book isnt the first work of fiction to grapple with the global financial crisis of 2007–2008, but its surely one of the best. . . . Its a novel that depicts a country both blessed and doomed, on top of the world, but always at risk of losing its balance. It is, in other words, quintessentially American."—NPR "This story is one that needs to be told."—Bust "Behold the Dreamers challenges us all to consider what it takes to make us genuinely content, and how long is too long to live with our dreams deferred."—O: The Oprah Magazine"[A] beautiful, empathetic novel."—The Boston Globe "A witty, compassionate, swiftly paced novel that takes on race, immigration, family and the dangers of capitalist excess."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Mbue [is] a deft, often lyrical observer. . . . [Her] meticulous storytelling announces a writer in command of her gifts."—Minneapolis Star Tribune Author Biography Imbolo Mbue is a native of the seaside town of Limbe, Cameroon. She holds a BS from Rutgers University and an MA from Columbia University. A resident of the United States for more than a decade, she lives in New York City. Behold the Dreamers, her critically acclaimed debut novel, won the 2017 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was named by The New York Times and The Washington Post as one of the notable books of 2016. It was also named as a best book of 2016 by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The novel also won the 2017 Blue Metropolis Words to Change Prize. Review "As a dissection of the American Dream, Imbolo Mbues first novel is savage and compassionate in all the right places."—The New York Times "A fresh, engaging entry into the eternally evolving narrative of what it means to be an American—and how human beings, not laws or dogma, define liberty."—Entertainment Weekly "Even as Behold the Dreamers takes some dark, vicious turns, it never feels cheaply cynical, grounded as it is in the well-imagined characters who try, through whatever means possible, to protect their families and better their lives."—USA Today "In Imbolo Mbues sprightly debut . . . songs of innocence and arrogance collide."—Vogue "Imagine Lorraine Hansberrys play/film A Raisin in the Sun with a Cameroonian cast of characters in early twenty-first century New York City, and you may come up with something close to Behold the Dreamers, a poignant and bittersweet debut."—San Francisco Chronicle"Behold the Dreamers . . . just might be the most accessible novel Ive ever read. . . . Mbue does an admirable job of developing characters whose lives seem so heartbreakingly real that the pages of this book often seem like something of a confinement. When you close the book, you will hear their pain. You might feel them calling for you."—Los Angeles Review of Books "The Help meets House of Cards meets the read thatll make you forget all about your morning commute."—theSkimm "Undocumented immigration, the widening gulf between rich and poor, and the thinly veiled racism of an avowedly post-racial culture converge in this new generation of immigrants painful encounter with the American Dream. . . . The prose grows luminous."—The Christian Science Monitor "Mbues outsiders perceptions of American life—its stresses, its excesses—are sharp. . . . Shes also shrewd on the disruptions that come with the Jongas leaving their native land for a dream that may be a delusion."—The Seattle Times "An utterly unique novel about immigration, race, and class—and an important one, as well."—BookPage"A debut novel by a young woman from Cameroon that illuminates the immigrant experience in America with the tenderhearted wisdom so lacking in our political discourse."—The Washington Post "Mbue writes with great confidence and warmth. . . . There are a lot of spinning plates and Mbue balances them skillfully, keeping everything in motion. . . . Behold the Dreamers is a capacious, big-hearted novel."—The New York Times Book Review "Mbues writing is warm and captivating."—People (book of the week) "Mbue is a wonderful writer with an uncanny ear for dialogue—there are no false notes here, no narrative shortcuts, and certainly no manufactured happy endings. Its a novel that depicts a country both blessed and doomed, on top of the world, but always at risk of losing its balance. It is, in other words, quintessentially American."—NPR"Mbues masterful debut about an immigrant family struggling to obtain the elusive American Dream in Harlem will have you feeling for each character from the moment you crack it open."—In Style "This story is one that needs to be told."—Bust "Behold the Dreamers challenges us all to consider what it takes to make us genuinely content, and how long is too long to live with our dreams deferred."—O: The Oprah Magazine"[A] beautiful, empathetic novel . . . Mbues narrative energy and sympathetic eye soon render . . . commonplace ingredients vivid, complex, and essential. . . . At once critical and hopeful, Behold the Dreamers traces the political and economic systems that push individuals toward dishonesty, while also acknowledging the bad and affirming the good in their complicated personal choices."—The Boston Globe "A witty, compassionate, swiftly paced novel that takes on race, immigration, family and the dangers of capitalist excess. In her debut novel, Mbue has crafted a compelling view of twenty-first-century America."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Behold the Dreamers reveals Mbue as a deft, often lyrical observer. . . . [Her] meticulous storytelling announces a writer in command of her gifts, plumbing the desires and disappointments of our emerging global culture."—Minneapolis Star Tribune "A revelation . . . Mbue has written a clever morality tale that never preaches but instead teaches us the power of integrity."—Essence "At once a sad indictment of the American dream and a gorgeous testament to the enduring bonds of family, Mbues powerful first novel will grip and move you right up to its heartfelt ending."—Shelf Awareness "Mbue proves herself a clear-eyed, unflinching storyteller, and Behold the Dreamers is a fearless, head-on journey into the thorny contemporary issues of American exceptionalism."—Interview Magazine "Gripping and beautifully told."—Good Housekeeping "At once an ode to New York City and an elegy for the American Dream, Behold the Dreamers reads like a film, shuttling effortlessly between a Cameroonian chauffeurs Harlem and an investment bankers Upper East Side. . . . There are no heroes in this marvelous debut, only nuanced human beings. A classic tale with a surprise ending, as deeply insightful as it is entertaining."—Taiye Selasi, author of Ghana Must Go "Mbues fantastic debut is much more than an immigrant story, a tale of the 2007 financial collapse, or the intersections of the rich and poor in New York—its about how the American Dream can fail anyone, and whether hope can survive. An empathetic, timely, and deeply welcome novel."—J. Ryan Stradal, author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest "Eminently readable, deeply empathetic, and often humorous, Behold the Dreamers offers the stark reality of the American Dream as we rarely see it in fiction. In its pages, Americans are made, fortunes are won and lost, and Americas flawed dream-makers and its striving dreamers clash and come alive. With forthright prose and unforgettable characters, Behold the Dreamers is a subversive delight."—Shawna Yang Ryan, author of Green Island"Imbolo Mbue would be a formidable storyteller anywhere, in any language. Its our good luck that she and her stories are American."—Jonathan Franzen, National Book Award–winning author of Purity and Freedom "Dazzling, fast-paced, and exquisitely written, Behold the Dreamers is one of those rare novels that will change the way you see the world. Imbolo Mbue is a breathtaking talent."—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train "Who is this Imbolo Mbue and where has she been hiding? Her writing is startlingly beautiful, thoughtful, and both timely and timeless. Shes taking on everything from family to the Great Recession to immigration while deftly reminding us what it means to truly believe in the American Dream."—Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award–winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming and Another Brooklyn "Its rare that a book is so fascinating, so emotionally compelling, and so beautiful that I literally cant put it down. I picked Behold the Dreamers up one evening before bed. I turned the last page at dawn. It ruined the next day for me—I wasnt much good for anything but a nap—but it was worth every lost hour."—Ayelet Waldman, New York Times bestselling author of Love and Treasure "A beautiful book about one African couple starting a new life in a new land, Behold the Dreamers will teach you as much about the promise and pitfalls of life in the United States as about the immigrants who come here in search of the so-called American dream."—Sonia Nazario, author of Enriques Journey and winner of the Pulitzer Prize"Among the spate of novels forged in the crucible of the previous decade, Mbues impressive debut deserves a singular place. . . . Realistic, tragic, and still remarkably kind to all its characters, this is a special book."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"A fast-paced, engaging read with an interesting cross-cultural background."—Library Journal "The Jongas are . . . vivid, and the books unexpected ending—and its sharp-eyed focus on issues of immigration, race, and class—speak to a sad truth in todays cutthroat world: the American dream isnt what it seems."—Publishers Weekly Review Quote "As a dissection of the American Dream, Imbolo Mbues first novel is savage and compassionate in all the right places." -- The New York Times "A fresh, engaging entry into the eternally evolving narrative of what it means to be an American--and how human beings, not laws or dogma, define liberty." -- Entertainment Weekly "Even as Behold the Dreamers takes some dark, vicious turns, it never feels cheaply cynical, grounded as it is in the well-imagined characters who try, through whatever means possible, to protect their families and better their lives." -- USA Today "In Imbolo Mbues sprightly debut . . . songs of innocence and arrogance collide." -- Vogue "Imagine Lorraine Hansberrys play/film A Raisin in the Sun with a Cameroonian cast of characters in early twenty-first century New York City, and you may come up with something close to Behold the Dreamers, a poignant and bittersweet debut." -- San Francisco Chronicle " Behold the Dreamers . . . just might be the most accessible novel Ive ever read. . . . Mbue does an admirable job of developing characters whose lives seem so heartbreakingly real that the pages of this book often seem like something of a confinement. When you close the book, you will hear their pain. You might feel them calling for you." -- Los Angeles Review of Books " The Help meets House of Cards meets the read thatll make you forget all about your morning commute." --theSkimm "Undocumented immigration, the widening gulf between rich and poor, and the thinly veiled racism of an avowedly post-racial culture converge in this new generation of immigrants painful encounter with the American Dream. . . . The prose grows luminous." -- The Christian Science Monitor "Mbues outsiders perceptions of American life--its stresses, its excesses--are sharp. . . . Shes also shrewd on the disruptions that come with the Jongas leaving their native land for a dream that may be a delusion." -- The Seattle Times "An utterly unique novel about immigration, race, and class--and an important one, as well." -- BookPage "A debut novel by a young woman from Cameroon that illuminates the immigrant experience in America with the tenderhearted wisdom so lacking in our political discourse." -- The Washington Post "Mbue writes with great confidence and warmth. . . . There are a lot of spinning plates and Mbue balances them skillfully, keeping everything in motion. . . . Behold the Dreamers is a capacious, big-hearted novel." -- The New York Times Book Review "Mbues writing is warm and captivating." -- People (book of the week) "Mbue is a wonderful writer with an uncanny ear for dialogue--there are no false notes here, no narrative shortcuts, and certainly no manufactured happy endings. Its a novel that depicts a country both blessed and doomed, on top of the world, but always at risk of losing its balance. It is, in other words, quintessentially American." --NPR "Mbues masterful debut about an immigrant family struggling to obtain Discussion Question for Reading Group Guide 1. Immigration plays a huge role in this novel. For the Jongas, America is a place of hope and promise, a "place where you can become somebody," but the machine and policies are anything but welcoming and clear and the road to citizenship is jagged. Discuss the portrayal of the American immigration in this novel. How does this shift the traditional representation of America? 2. In Jendes job as a driver for the Edwards family, he often transcends the boundaries between their public personas and their private lives. Behind the safety of a closed car door, the Edwards show their truest selves and Jende is often a silent witness to much of what they would not show to the world: marital issues, the crumbling of Lehman Brothers, infidelity, family arguments. How does this impact Jendes understanding of this family? How does it inform our interpretations? 3. Though both the Edwards and the Jongas have their own individual worries, so much of what concerns both of these couples is the well-being and success of their children. Discuss the parenting styles that the Edwards and the Jongas utilize. How are they similar? How do they differ? Why do we place so much weight on the raising of children? How can our own pathways in life lead the way we direct our children? How do our parents impact our view of the world and futures? 4. On the surface, it would seem that Cindy and Neni are two extremely different women. Cindy, in particular, is a conflicted person: sometimes ignorant, conniving, self-centered. However, it soon becomes clear that, in their own ways, Cindy and Neni are bonded, both women struggling to understand their roles as wives and women, and as the novel progresses, their identities seem to merge. How else are they similar? How are they different? What do they learn from one another? 5. Discuss the character of Vince Edwards. What do you make of his relationship to his family and his thoughts about his country? How do his opinions play a larger role in the novel? What do you think is in store for him in India? 6. Though they moved to America to find better life as a couple and as a family, both Jende and Neni are inevitably impacted by the way America shapes their own personal identities. What are some of the ways in which they change as individuals over the course of the novel? How does their marriage change? Do you feel this is for the better or worse? How does it speak largely to the way Americas ideals impact the members of its society? 7. Discuss the role of dreams in the novel. How do dreams drive the plot of the novel? What kind of dreams do these characters wish to achieve? What dreams are deferred? 8. Though external forces drive the plot of the novel, the marriages of both the Edwards and the Jongas fuel a lot of the drama as well. How do these marriages differ? How are they similar? How do both of these relationships influence the events of the story? 9. Though Jende and Neni are both "outsiders" in American society, they also seem to have the clearest observations and insight into American culture. What are some examples of this? How does the role of an outsider provide a unique vantage point? 10. The Jendes often reflect on their home of Cameroon with both nostalgia and negativity; though they have left their homeland for a better country, Cameroon still remains in their hearts and minds. However, it is clear that even for Clark and Cindy, who are American citizens, it is very difficult to forget where you came from, the history that made you who you are. Discuss the concept of "home" in this novel. How does it impact the central characters? 11. Perhaps one of the saddest moments of the novel is the Jongas return to Cameroon. What do you think of this decision? How do you envision their lives if they had tried to stay in America? 12. Consider the theme of power in the novel. How do some of these characters hold power over one another? How do they yield this power? 13. Discuss the choice to place this novel in an America on the brink of recession and the Wall Street collapse. How would this story have looked different without this moment in American history? What would these characters journeys have looked like? 14. Discuss the character of Clark Edwards, a man who seems to have many different sides. What is his culpability in the collapse of Lehman Brothers? What type of husband and father is he? Would you consider him a good or a bad man? 15. Consider the role of the American Dream in the novel. How is this ideal defined in this story? In what ways is it manifested in the central men and women of this story? How does it fail them? Excerpt from Book One Hed never been asked to wear a suit to a job interview. Never been told to bring along a copy of his r Description for Library Impeccably written, socially informed, in development by Sony Pictures, and an exemplar of the tremendous new writing emerging from Africa, Cameroon-born Mbues big debut opens in 2007 New York. Cameroonian immigrant Jende Jonga is overjoyed when he lucks into a job as chauffeur for one--percenter Clark Edwards, and his wife, Neni, is subsequently hired as household help. Alas, troubles in the Edwards marriage edge into the lives of the Jongas. Then comes the economic crash of 2008-and Clark is a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Lots of library marketing. Details ISBN0812998480 Author Imbolo Mbue Short Title BEHOLD THE DREAMERS Language English ISBN-10 0812998480 ISBN-13 9780812998481 Media Book Format Hardcover Pages 400 DEWEY FIC Year 2016 Publication Date 2016-08-23 Subtitle A Novel Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2016-08-23 NZ Release Date 2016-08-23 US Release Date 2016-08-23 UK Release Date 2016-08-23 Place of Publication New York Publisher Random House USA Inc Imprint Random House USA Inc Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:141727196;

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