Soma Nami’s Books in Review
By Wendy Njoroge
Wendy Njoroge reviews Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count
After a decade-long hiatus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie makes a triumphant return to long-form fiction with Dream Count. The novel has already secured a spot on bestseller lists and been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction—an early testament to its impact. As one of the most celebrated African authors of our time, Adichie’s return is a literary event, eagerly anticipated by readers worldwide.
Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dream Count follows the lives of four African women whose stories intertwine in ways both expected and unexpected. Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel writer living in the U.S., finds herself at a crossroads, questioning past choices and the life she has built away from home. Her best friend, Zikora, is an accomplished lawyer in Washington, D.C., navigating professional success while wrestling with personal dilemmas. Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper and a Guinean immigrant, is carving out a new life in America while carrying the weight of unspoken sacrifices. Meanwhile, Omelogor, Chiamaka’s cousin and a banking executive in Abuja, represents a different kind of modern African woman—successful, affluent, yet constrained by the expectations of family and society.
The novel opens at the height of lockdown, a period that disrupts the characters’ carefully curated lives and forces each of them into deep self-examination. Through layered storytelling, Adichie takes us through their formative years, unpacking the choices, ambitions, and compromises that have shaped them. The narrative structure allows us to witness their personal reckonings—a “dream count” of sorts—where they take stock of the lives they have built and the ones they left behind.
Thematically, Dream Count shares a kinship with Americanah, particularly in its exploration of African immigrant experiences in the West. However, in its intricate character studies and emotional depth, it is reminiscent of Half of a Yellow Sun. Adichie excels in creating nuanced, flawed, and deeply human characters who defy simplistic categorizations. She delves into issues of race, class, gender, and power with her signature clarity and incisiveness.
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (courtesy chimimanda.com)
Beyond its personal narratives, Dream Count is also a bold commentary on global politics. It critiques America’s contradictions—its promises of opportunity juxtaposed with systemic inequities—and challenges the often-limited portrayals of African women in literature. These women are cosmopolitan, ambitious, and affluent, yet their lives are far from the narrow expectations imposed upon them. Ambitious in scope yet deeply intimate in execution, Dream Count is a thought-provoking and absorbing novel that will spark debate and discussion. It is a book that lingers in the mind
ong after the final page. Highly recommended.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Count is available at Nairobi’s Pan-African bookshop Soma Nami, located in Greenhouse Mall, Ngara & online at www.somanami.co.ke
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