As a book reviewer, I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher or author to facilitate this review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are always 100% my own.
It’s 2020–the middle of lockdown. Chiamaka, a Nigerian woman living in America, decides to use this time to catalogue past lovers, calling friends and family to reminisce as well as deal with COVID news. And–spoiler alert!–some of her past boyfriends are rage-inducing for the reader. Chiamaka is beautiful, beloved, and from a wealthy family. She is able to survive writing the occasional travel article, meeting people, and chatting with her friends–Zikora, her best friend, and Omelogor, Chiamaka’s favorite cousin who has made a name for herself in a male-dominated business. Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, came from poverty in Guinea to finally make it to America with her daughter and boyfriend, although her journey wasn’t without complications that will play out with future ramifications.
The story is told from the points of view of all four women. I must admit that I found Kadiatou the most gripping of the four. While the wealthy Nigerian women try to find love and grapple with what it means to be rich, to be a woman, to be in love, Kadiatou is simply trying to survive. When she is assaulted and then falsely accused, my blood pressure rose. And yet all four are dealing with what it means to be in relationship with other human beings, what we do to survive even when that survival is emotional rather than physical, and what it means to know oneself and face that unflinchingly, whether one is rich or poor.
Dream Count is an entrancing read that raises deep questions for the reader. I have enjoyed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s previous novels and although this one was harder for me to get into (probably because of the afore-mentioned rage-inducing boyfriend in the first section), Adichie continues to create intriguing characters who are navigating worlds across culture and distance. She’s a gorgeous writer. Highly recommended!
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