Behold The Dreamers

Nothing beats a novel that removes you from your life and makes you feel as though you're inhabiting another reality entirely. Imbolo Mbue does exactly that in this engrossing debut, "Behold the Dreamers." Within just a few pages I was transported to New York just before the recession hit in 2007. Jende Jonga has just managed to bring his wife, Neni, and their young son to America from Cameroon. Jende has more hope and positivity in his little finger than most of the people I've met in Manhattan. He finds work as a chauffeur, but still, so much hangs in the balance: visas, job security, and Neni's scholarship to name a few. As the couple becomes more entangled in the lives of the family they work for, their own life gets complicated—and fast! Marriage, ambition, and wanting the best for your children are major themes in the book, allowing the reader to easily connect to the characters as they chase the American Dream. The reason I love fiction is epitomized in this beautiful novel: it exerts its power to lead us to empathy and connection in this world.