Behold the Dreamers: A Novel

Ā· Sold by Random House
4.3
31 reviews
Ebook
416
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dreamā€”the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy

New York TimesĀ BestsellerĀ ā€¢Ā Winner of the PEN/Faulkner AwardĀ ā€¢ Longlisted for the PEN/Open Book Award ā€¢ An ALA Notable Book

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BYĀ 
NPRĀ ā€¢ The New York Times Book Review ā€¢Ā San Francisco Chronicle ā€¢ The Guardian ā€¢ St. Louis Post-Dispatch ā€¢ Chicago Public Library ā€¢ BookPage ā€¢ Refinery29 ā€¢ Kirkus ReviewsĀ 

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 loyaltyā€”and Jende is eager to please. Clarkā€™s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardsesā€™ 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 employersā€™ faƧades.

When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jendeā€™s jobā€”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

ā€œA 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.ā€ā€”The Washington Post

ā€œA capacious, big-hearted novel.ā€ā€”The New York Times Book Review

ā€œBehold the Dreamersā€™Ā heart . . . belongs to the struggles and small triumphs of the Jongas, which Mbue traces in clean, quick-moving paragraphs.ā€ā€”Entertainment Weekly

ā€œMbueā€™s writing is warm and captivating.ā€ā€”People (book of the week)

ā€œ[Mbueā€™s] book isnā€™t the first work of fiction to grapple with the global financial crisis of 2007ā€“2008, but itā€™s surely one of the best. . . . Itā€™s 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.ā€ā€”NPR

ā€œThis story is one that needs to be told.ā€ā€”BustĀ 

ā€œBehold 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.ā€ā€”O: The Oprah Magazine

ā€œ[A] beautiful, empathetic novel.ā€ā€”The Boston Globe

ā€œA witty, compassionate, swiftly paced novel that takes on race, immigration, family and the dangers of capitalist excess.ā€ā€”St. Louis Post-Dispatch

ā€œMbue [is] a deft, often lyrical observer. . . . [Her] meticulous storytelling announces a writer in command of her gifts.ā€ā€”Minneapolis Star Tribune

Ratings and reviews

4.3
31 reviews
Ansai Calugan
February 8, 2024
I will rate it as 5. A story that shows expectations from reality and the importance of having family and friends as a backbone support in a fast-paced developing society. Imbolo Mbue creates various compelling characters throughout the book that anyone can relate to. Highly recommended for people who are excited to venture into a new environment.
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Joan Salvati
May 5, 2017
The story flows nicely and I like how Neni's character evolves into a strong woman, but does not push things to a point where she leaves her husband. I thought this was a nuanced portrayal of a woman going through a difficult situation. The book provides a good dramatization of the impacts of the financial crisis on a well to do family as well as an imigrant family such as the Jongas. I liked that the ending was unpredictable - no one went off into the sunset.....
7 people found this review helpful
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Tracy L Haggins
November 21, 2018
I admit that it took longer than usual to finish this book because of all the detail, but it was worth reading. I was really excited about the ending and what happens with Jende. I would say that it was worth the several days it took me to finish it. My advice to anyone is just keep reading. The ending is worth the wait. Also, what happens with the Edward family. Well written too.
3 people found this review helpful
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About the author

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 TimesĀ andĀ The Washington PostĀ as one of the notable books of 2016. It was also named as a best book of 2016 by NPR,Ā Kirkus Reviews,Ā theĀ San Francisco Chronicle, The GuardianĀ and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Ā The novel also won the 2017 Blue Metropolis Words to Change Prize.

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