Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (BOOK CLUB April 2025)

This modern classic about race, gender, migration and Americanization will make you think, feel and learn.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie hit the literary scene in 2013 to positive reviews and acclaim. It tells the story of Ifemelu and Obinze who, as teenagers in a Lagos Secondary school, fall in love. The two are separated as they migrate in different directions out of Nigeria and the story follows their subsequent journeys. This story touches on themes of race, gender, class, immigration and migration as well as what it means to become Americanized.

I remember reading this book shortly after it came out and absolutely loving it. However, in the decade since I first read it, I’ve forgotten much of the plot and look forward to reading it again.

Americanah was selected as one of the 10 Best Books of 2013 by the editors of the New York Times Book Review. It won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award (Fiction),and was shortlisted for the 2014 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction of the United Kingdom. The Chicago Tribune awarded Adichie its 2013 Heartland Award for Fiction, "recogniz[ing Americanah as] a novel that engages with important ideas about race, and does so with style, wit and insight."

In March 2017, Americanah was picked as the winner for the "One Book, One New York" program, part of a community reading initiative encouraging all city residents to read the same book.

In 2024, Americanah was ranked #27 in the list of 100 best books of the 21st century by the New York Times.

In 2022, Americanah was banned in the Clay County School District in Florida.

It has a 4.32 star rating on GoodReads with 393,477 reviews and 31,743 ratings.

In 2014, it was announced that David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong'o would star in a film adaptation of the novel, to be produced by Brad Pitt and his production company Plan B. In 2018, Nyong'o told The Hollywood Reporter that she was developing a television miniseries based on the book, which she would produce and star in. It was announced on September 13, 2019, that HBO Max would air the miniseries in ten episodes, with actor and playwright Danai Guriraas writer and showrunner.  On October 15, 2020, it was reported that the miniseries would not move forward due to scheduling conflicts. In my research I came across this 2017 short film depicting scenes from the book as part of a concept package/pitch for the producers behind the screen adaptation of this book. 

We will meet on Monday, April 28 at 6pm PT/9pm ET  to discuss this book. 

Zoom links and reminders are forthcoming!

Happy reading,

Colleen (and Laura)

Further Reading/Watching

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Review (The Guardian)

Realities of Race (NY Times Review)

Interview with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie with the Library Foundation of Los Angeles (YouTube)