Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue is a debut novel with much promise and tells the story of Jende and Neni Jonga, husband and wife immigrants from Cameroon in West Africa. In 2008, Jende has a work permit (although it is soon to expire) and acts as chauffeur for an executive, Clark Edwards, at Lehman Brothers. Neni has a student visa and is pursuing her dream of becoming a pharmacist at a local community college.  

The Jongas’ life gradually becomes more entwined with the Edwards’ troubles and, despite good intentions, there are plenty of tough choices being made.  The Edwards’ son, Vince, turns down a law internship to “find himself” in India. Meanwhile, both Clark Edwards and his wife Cindy succumb to increasing financial pressures and resort to their own vices, including prostitution, drugs and alcohol. Jende’s legal status, his job, and Neni’s schooling are increasingly in peril.   Behold the Dreamers is very readable; the struggles which these characters face to pursue their dreams, to care for their families, and to act in in a moral way are absorbing. I will be recommending Behold the Dreamers for Junior Theme, especially for those classes who read and study about the immigrant experience.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue received a starred review from Kirkus. 

Known and Strange Things by Teju Cole

I have also recently explored a collection of essays called Known and Strange Things by Teju Cole, the Nigerian-American author and photographer. His earlier award winning work, Open City, will be part of the readings assigned for a Senior English elective this year and I was curious about this new title.  The over fifty essays in Known and Strange Things – collected over several years - are divided into three sections (Reading Things, Seeing Things, Being There) and are followed by an Epilogue.  There is a great deal of opinion and emotion.  For example, anger and resentment are evidenced by essay titles such as “White Savior Industrial Complex” and his labeling of the micro-aggressions of American racism.  Like Jesmyn Ward in The Fire This Time, Cole refers to the works and life of James Baldwin, quoting him as saying, “People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.” How would other writers that students are required to read, like Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) respond?

Cole also shares some insights about his own writing, noting: “My goal in writing a novel is to leave the reader not knowing what to think.  A good novel shouldn’t have a point.” That alone should prompt some interesting arguments in English this coming school year. Both Booklist and Kirkus gave starred reviews to Known and Strange Things by Teju Cole.