Behold the Dreamers
by Imbolo Mbue
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In the fall of 2007, Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Their situation only improves when Jende's wife Neni is hired as household help. But in the course of their work, Jende and Neni begin to witness infidelities, skirmishes, and family secrets. Then, with the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers, a tragedy changes all four lives forever, and the Jongas must decide whether to continue show more fighting to stay in a recession-ravaged America or give up and return home to Cameroon. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
2017 NEWS! THIS 5-STAR READ IS A FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER AWARD!
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses’ summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future.
However, the world of great show more power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades.
When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.
My Review: I voted for this book in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. I read somewhere on the internet that this just might be The Great American Novel. I agree.
Nothing is more American, in my experience of being a life-long one, than rooting for the underdog. Nothing is more American than relishing, with unabashed schadenfreude, the fall of the mighty and greedy.
Followed by:
These two fundamental American character traits intersect in this well-crafted debut novel. (This is the author's debut novel, but I will bet large sums of cash money that it's not her first...this is an accomplished, polished, beautiful piece of writing and plotting, and it has numerous older siblings in the "recycle" folder on her hard drive or I'm your maiden auntie.)
Don't waste time reading reviews, go get the book and read it! Now! Quick sticks, possums, don't deprive yourselves of this pleasure. show less
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses’ summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future.
However, the world of great show more power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades.
When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.
My Review: I voted for this book in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. I read somewhere on the internet that this just might be The Great American Novel. I agree.
My advice to someone like you is to always stay close to the gray area and keep yourself and your family safe. Stay away from any place where you can run into police—that's the advice I give to you and to all young black men in this country. The police is for the protection of white people, my brother. Maybe black women and black children sometimes, but not black men. Never black men. Black men and police are palm oil and water. You understand me, eh?
Nothing is more American, in my experience of being a life-long one, than rooting for the underdog. Nothing is more American than relishing, with unabashed schadenfreude, the fall of the mighty and greedy.
Anyone can go to the shop and buy anything and give to anyone, he told Liomi when the boy asked him for the umpteenth time why he couldn’t get even a little toy truck. The true measure of whether somebody really loves you, he lectured, is what they do for you with their hands and say to you with their mouth and think of you in their heart.
Followed by:
“That’s exactly the problem! People don’t want to open their eyes and see the Truth because the illusion suits them. As long as they’re fed whatever lies they want to hear they’re happy, because the Truth means nothing to them. Look at my parents—they’re struggling under the weight of so many pointless pressures, but if they could ever free themselves from this self-inflicted oppression they would find genuine happiness. Instead, they continue to go down a path of achievements and accomplishments and material success and shit that means nothing because that’s what America’s all about, and now they’re trapped. And they don’t get it!”
These two fundamental American character traits intersect in this well-crafted debut novel. (This is the author's debut novel, but I will bet large sums of cash money that it's not her first...this is an accomplished, polished, beautiful piece of writing and plotting, and it has numerous older siblings in the "recycle" folder on her hard drive or I'm your maiden auntie.)
Don't waste time reading reviews, go get the book and read it! Now! Quick sticks, possums, don't deprive yourselves of this pleasure. show less
Jende Jonga und seine Frau Neni haben es geschafft: Sie sind in New York, USA, dem Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten. In Kamerun, woher sie beide stammen, gab es zum Einen keine Möglichkeit für sie, gemeinsam zu leben. Und zum Anderen waren ihre Zukunftsaussichten alles andere als rosig. Arbeit gibt es dort so gut wie keine und wenn, sind es schlecht bezahlte Hilfsarbeiten. Um auf's College zu gehen oder eine der wenigen gut bezahlten Stellen zu erhalten, muss man Beziehungen und Geld haben - Jende und Neni haben beides nicht. Doch dank seines Cousins haben sie es in die USA geschafft: Jende hat eine gute Stelle als Chauffeur bei einem Wallstreet-Banker und Neni macht ihren Abschluss, um danach Pharmazie zu studieren. Alles ist show more wunderbar, doch dann kommt die Bankenkrise und das Leben der Jongas ändert sich.
Die Geschichte wird vollständig aus der Sicht der Jongas erzählt: Jende, der den Großteil seiner Zeit als Chauffeuer mit seinem Arbeitgeber Mr. Edwards verbringt, einem leitenden Manager bei Lehman Brothers. Und Neni, die im Sommer für Mr. Edwards Frau in den Hamptons arbeitet. Beide erhalten unweigerlich einen tiefen Einblick in diese Familie, die so reich ist, dass es die Jongas kaum glauben können. Doch nie gibt es ein Wort oder einen Gedanken des Neides - stattdessen sind Jende und Neni den Edwards überaus dankbar, auch wenn diese sich kaum für ihre Angestellten interessieren. Typisch, könnte man nun meinen. Diese reiche, egoistische und egozentrische High-Society, die den Bezug zum normalen Leben so gut wie verloren hat. Doch so leicht macht es die Autorin den Lesenden in ihrem Erstlingswerk nicht. Auch die Edwards haben ihr Päckchen zu tragen und nicht alle Banker denken ausschließlich an ihren eigenen Profit.
Imbolo Mbue, die selbst aus Kamerun stammt und nun in den USA lebt, hat nach meinem Empfinden ein ungemein realitätsnahes Werk geschaffen, dass vermutlich die Hoffnungen und Ängste vieler Einwanderer (nicht nur derjenigen aus Afrika) nachvollziehbar widerspiegelt. Dass sie bei der Darstellung des amerikanischen Gegenübers nicht in Klischees verfällt, ist ein weiterer großer Pluspunkt für diese unterhaltsame, etwas traurige aber auch amüsante Geschichte. Sehr sehr lesenswert! show less
Die Geschichte wird vollständig aus der Sicht der Jongas erzählt: Jende, der den Großteil seiner Zeit als Chauffeuer mit seinem Arbeitgeber Mr. Edwards verbringt, einem leitenden Manager bei Lehman Brothers. Und Neni, die im Sommer für Mr. Edwards Frau in den Hamptons arbeitet. Beide erhalten unweigerlich einen tiefen Einblick in diese Familie, die so reich ist, dass es die Jongas kaum glauben können. Doch nie gibt es ein Wort oder einen Gedanken des Neides - stattdessen sind Jende und Neni den Edwards überaus dankbar, auch wenn diese sich kaum für ihre Angestellten interessieren. Typisch, könnte man nun meinen. Diese reiche, egoistische und egozentrische High-Society, die den Bezug zum normalen Leben so gut wie verloren hat. Doch so leicht macht es die Autorin den Lesenden in ihrem Erstlingswerk nicht. Auch die Edwards haben ihr Päckchen zu tragen und nicht alle Banker denken ausschließlich an ihren eigenen Profit.
Imbolo Mbue, die selbst aus Kamerun stammt und nun in den USA lebt, hat nach meinem Empfinden ein ungemein realitätsnahes Werk geschaffen, dass vermutlich die Hoffnungen und Ängste vieler Einwanderer (nicht nur derjenigen aus Afrika) nachvollziehbar widerspiegelt. Dass sie bei der Darstellung des amerikanischen Gegenübers nicht in Klischees verfällt, ist ein weiterer großer Pluspunkt für diese unterhaltsame, etwas traurige aber auch amüsante Geschichte. Sehr sehr lesenswert! show less
I think my fascination with the African voice goes back to Alexander McCall Smith and the Botswana stories, which I guess is ironic because he isn't actually African at all. This story is written by an African author and describes the experience of the Jongas, a Cameroonian couple who is in New York, attempting to immigrate to the United States. They haven't exactly faked their applications, but have fudged things a little in the hopes that they fall through the cracked just enough to carry on and fulfill their dreams. However, fantasy and reality collide as they come to understand that living in America is more difficult than they knew, especially in the grey zone they occupy between legal and illegal. The story is also set with the show more backdrop of the financial crisis of 2008, and tells the parallel tale of the family the Jongas spend time working for, and how the crisis affects two families on opposite ends of the economic scale. It is both topical and emotional, a great, balanced, contemporary novel. show less
Book on CD performed by Prentice Onayemi
Mbue explores the “American Dream” through an immigrant family’s experiences. Jende Jonga comes from Cameroon with his wife, Neni, and his young son. His hope is to provide for his family, to allow his wife to finish school to become a pharmacist, and to give his son the advantages that are not available in their hometown of Limbe, Cameroon. It is 2007, and Jenda has been blessed to land a job as a chauffeur to Clark Edwards, a rising star at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands promptness, professionalism and discretion, and Jende is up to the task. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even employs Neni at their summer home in the Hamptons. So, they are well on their way to the American Dream, saving money, show more learning the ways of America, hoping for a bright future. And then Lehman Brothers collapses, and the Jongas are desperate to keep their hold on the dream.
What a powerful and insightful look at the immigrant experience. I was particularly impressed by Neni and the strength she showed when push came to shove, and her family’s future was at stake. But cultural expectations, even when far from home, are hard to ignore. Her desire to keep her children in America cannot fully and fairly compete with the ingrained behaviors of their homeland.
Mbue gives us complex characters, fully realized, with all their gifts and faults. At times I sympathized even with the “villains” of the story. Mbue made me think about the complexity of immigration policy. In the end, though, my money is on the Jonga family. They are more than dreamers. They are winners.
Prentice Onayemi does a superb job of narrating the audiobook. I was particularly impressed by how he voiced Jende and Neni. show less
Mbue explores the “American Dream” through an immigrant family’s experiences. Jende Jonga comes from Cameroon with his wife, Neni, and his young son. His hope is to provide for his family, to allow his wife to finish school to become a pharmacist, and to give his son the advantages that are not available in their hometown of Limbe, Cameroon. It is 2007, and Jenda has been blessed to land a job as a chauffeur to Clark Edwards, a rising star at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands promptness, professionalism and discretion, and Jende is up to the task. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even employs Neni at their summer home in the Hamptons. So, they are well on their way to the American Dream, saving money, show more learning the ways of America, hoping for a bright future. And then Lehman Brothers collapses, and the Jongas are desperate to keep their hold on the dream.
What a powerful and insightful look at the immigrant experience. I was particularly impressed by Neni and the strength she showed when push came to shove, and her family’s future was at stake. But cultural expectations, even when far from home, are hard to ignore. Her desire to keep her children in America cannot fully and fairly compete with the ingrained behaviors of their homeland.
Mbue gives us complex characters, fully realized, with all their gifts and faults. At times I sympathized even with the “villains” of the story. Mbue made me think about the complexity of immigration policy. In the end, though, my money is on the Jonga family. They are more than dreamers. They are winners.
Prentice Onayemi does a superb job of narrating the audiobook. I was particularly impressed by how he voiced Jende and Neni. show less
As a new immigrant in the United States, Jende is hoping to give his family a standard of living and opportunities they would never have had in their native Cameroon. His wife Neni is now attending college, and he has landed an agreeable job as a chauffeur for a Wall Street executive. Things are going well, but Jende never breathes too easily, because his legal status in the country isn't yet secure.
Both heartbreaking and inspiring, Mbue's work provides a glimpse into the lives and thought processes of immigrants to this country, how hard they are willing to work, how much they are willing to sacrifice (materially and psychologically), and the risks they are willing to take for the promise of all this country appears to offer. I have to show more say that for me the story provoked feelings of dread throughout — I was constantly on edge, waiting for the worst thing to happen. I also half-expected the Edwards family to be stereotypically evil-rich, but to my relief they were painted with a more nuanced brush stroke, though certainly not altruistic. An exquisitely-written and important book. show less
Both heartbreaking and inspiring, Mbue's work provides a glimpse into the lives and thought processes of immigrants to this country, how hard they are willing to work, how much they are willing to sacrifice (materially and psychologically), and the risks they are willing to take for the promise of all this country appears to offer. I have to show more say that for me the story provoked feelings of dread throughout — I was constantly on edge, waiting for the worst thing to happen. I also half-expected the Edwards family to be stereotypically evil-rich, but to my relief they were painted with a more nuanced brush stroke, though certainly not altruistic. An exquisitely-written and important book. show less
This book tells the story of two families living in the New York City during the lead-up to the financial crisis of 2008. Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant, becomes a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a Lehman Brothers executive. Jende brings his wife, Neni, and son, Liomi, to New York from Cameroon, hoping to take advantage of the “American Dream.” The story follows the lives of these two families, contrasting their triumphs and challenges. One family is pursuing the dream, working hard, saving and sacrificing, to create a life of opportunity for themselves and their children. The other has achieved the dream, but at a substantial cost to their well-being. As the story unfolds, these two families become more interdependent, and face show more difficult ethical decisions, both personally and professionally. Themes include dreams, family, social class, marriage, and immigration.
This book brought home to me the reality of the many difficulties faced by immigrants – navigating the complicated government bureaucracy over visas and residency, court appearances and costs, language and cultural barriers, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, and sending money to relatives back home. The dream often comes face to face with the reality that there is only so much one can control through hard work and perseverance. The book is well crafted and conveys a sense of time and place. The writing is straightforward, and the characters are vivid. I think the primary strength lies in the interactions among the characters. They come across as flawed individuals but empathetic in unexpected ways. It is not a “happy” book, but it struck me as authentic, and gave me much food for thought. I think it would make an excellent choice for a book club discussion. This book is a strong debut by Mbue, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. show less
This book brought home to me the reality of the many difficulties faced by immigrants – navigating the complicated government bureaucracy over visas and residency, court appearances and costs, language and cultural barriers, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, and sending money to relatives back home. The dream often comes face to face with the reality that there is only so much one can control through hard work and perseverance. The book is well crafted and conveys a sense of time and place. The writing is straightforward, and the characters are vivid. I think the primary strength lies in the interactions among the characters. They come across as flawed individuals but empathetic in unexpected ways. It is not a “happy” book, but it struck me as authentic, and gave me much food for thought. I think it would make an excellent choice for a book club discussion. This book is a strong debut by Mbue, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. show less
This remarkable debut novel is reminiscent of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy (a reading pairing that I would highly recommend). The story follows the Jonga family, recent immigrants to the US from Cameroon. The lives of the Jongas are intertwined with the upper class Edwards family. Clark Edwards, an executive at Lehman Brothers, hires Jende Jonga to be his chauffeur just prior to the collapse of his firm. His wife hires Neni Jonga for seasonal housekeeping and nanny duties in the Hamptons. As the financial crisis of 2008 unfolds and circumstances become dire for both families, this book confronts the moral dilemmas and privilege head-on. Mbue, a native Cameroonian herself, has written a great American novel.
I received a copy show more of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. show less
I received a copy show more of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. show less
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Author Information
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Imbolo Mbue was born in Limbe, Cameroon in 1982. She has been a resident in the U.S. for more than 10 years. She earned her B.S. from Rutgers University and an M.A. from Columbia University. She won the PEN/Faulkner Award for her novel Behold the Dreamers in 2017 which was also chosen by Oprah Winfrey to be in her book club. (Bowker Author show more Biography) show less
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Awards and Honors
Awards
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Oprah's Book Club 2.0 (2017-06 – 2017)
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Behold the Dreamers
- Original title
- Behold the dreamers
- Original publication date
- 2016
- People/Characters
- Jende Jonga; Neni Jonga; Liomi Jonga; Clark Edwards; Cindy Edwards; Winston Avera (show all 8); Mighty Edwards; Vince Edwards
- Important places
- Cameroon; New York, New York, USA; Limbe, Cameroon
- Important events
- Financial Crisis of 2008
- Epigraph
- For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills, a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig-trees, pomegranates, olive oil and ho... (show all)ney; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
Deuteronomy 8:7-9 - First words
- He'd never been asked to wear a suit to a job interview. Never been told to bring along a copy of his resume.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The boy opened his eyes and said, "Home?"
- Blurbers
- Nazario, Sonia; Flournoy, Angela; Franzen, Jonathan; Selasi, Taiye; Burton, Jessie; Stradal, J. Ryan (show all 10); Ryan, Shawna Yang; Kline, Christina Baker; Waldman, Ayelet; Woodson, Jacqueline
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