Behold the Dreamers: A Novel
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 economy
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Community Reviews
An interesting perspective on the lives of two African immigrants just before and during the Subprime Mortgage Crisis. Mbue does well bringing the two protagonists to life, making them feel tangible and relatable. Though the story is ultimately one of "The American Dream", Mbue does not shy away from having the protagonists be "defeated".
The American dream. What it means to a resident and what it means to an immigrant differ somewhat but the essence stays much the same. Jende and his family come here from Cameroon with a dream and we witness their lives and trials as they struggle to make it in NYC. Jende begins working for a Lehman brothers exec as a chauffeur and then we see the lives of a very different demographic as well. Poignant, informative, heart rending. This book is definitely worth everyone’s time.
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