Good Reads / Community Library Notes
Behold the Dreamers
Imbolo Mbue
Review by Priscilla Comen
Behold the Dreamers
Imbolo Mbue
Review by Priscilla Comen
“Behold the Dreamers” by Imbolo Mbue is a tender story about Jende and his wife Neni, who have come from Cameroon (as has the beautiful author Mbue) to live in Harlem, New York. Jende has a good job as a chauffeur for an executive, Mr Edwards. Mister Edwards works at Lehman Brothers and his wife, Cindy, employs Jende’s wife to serve at parties for important people. Neni is studying to be a pharmacist at night school and helps her six year old son do homework. They feel their dreams are coming true in America.
But, as Jende listens to the wives chat in the back seat of Mr. Edward’s Mercedes, he hears secrets that alarm him. Neni one day finds the exec’s wife passed out from an overdose of wine and pills. Cindy gives her extra designer clothes and used toys for her son to encourage her to keep silent. When Lehman Bros fails and Barclays takes them over, Jende realizes that money does not create happiness.
Neni gives birth to a baby girl and Jende gets a letter from Immigration saying he has over-stayed his permit to be in the U.S. He’s worried that he will be deported back to Cameroon. Neni finds a church that she likes, visits with the female pastor and tells her of their visa problems. Jende becomes angry, calls her stupid and hits her. Their lawyer promises to help them, and the pastor promises too. Jende loves his job and hopes to drive for Mr Edwards for many years. But sadly, Mr Edwards calls Jende in to his office and lets him go.
What will Jende and Neni do? How will they manage their lives? Author Mbue makes us feel their pain, their confusion. Jende gets jobs as a dishwasher in two restaurants. He does not make enough money to send Neni back to school or to move to a nicer house without cockroaches. He thinks he’d like to return to Cameroon. Neni is devastated and thinks she might divorce Jende, marry a man who has papers, then divorce him after she gets her papers, and re-marry Jende. He doesn’t want to hear this. Author Mbue shows us how difficult it is to be an immigrant in America, to find the dream they once thought could be theirs.
They begin to realize family is the most important element in their lives. Together they can withstand anything wherever they live; Cameroon or New York City. Find this wonderful book on the new fiction shelf of your community library.
But, as Jende listens to the wives chat in the back seat of Mr. Edward’s Mercedes, he hears secrets that alarm him. Neni one day finds the exec’s wife passed out from an overdose of wine and pills. Cindy gives her extra designer clothes and used toys for her son to encourage her to keep silent. When Lehman Bros fails and Barclays takes them over, Jende realizes that money does not create happiness.
Neni gives birth to a baby girl and Jende gets a letter from Immigration saying he has over-stayed his permit to be in the U.S. He’s worried that he will be deported back to Cameroon. Neni finds a church that she likes, visits with the female pastor and tells her of their visa problems. Jende becomes angry, calls her stupid and hits her. Their lawyer promises to help them, and the pastor promises too. Jende loves his job and hopes to drive for Mr Edwards for many years. But sadly, Mr Edwards calls Jende in to his office and lets him go.
What will Jende and Neni do? How will they manage their lives? Author Mbue makes us feel their pain, their confusion. Jende gets jobs as a dishwasher in two restaurants. He does not make enough money to send Neni back to school or to move to a nicer house without cockroaches. He thinks he’d like to return to Cameroon. Neni is devastated and thinks she might divorce Jende, marry a man who has papers, then divorce him after she gets her papers, and re-marry Jende. He doesn’t want to hear this. Author Mbue shows us how difficult it is to be an immigrant in America, to find the dream they once thought could be theirs.
They begin to realize family is the most important element in their lives. Together they can withstand anything wherever they live; Cameroon or New York City. Find this wonderful book on the new fiction shelf of your community library.