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    Behold the Dreamers: An Oprah’s Book Club pick
    Unavailable
    Behold the Dreamers: An Oprah’s Book Club pick
    Unavailable
    Behold the Dreamers: An Oprah’s Book Club pick
    Audiobook12 hours

    Behold the Dreamers: An Oprah’s Book Club pick

    Written by Imbolo Mbue

    Narrated by Prentice Onayemi

    4/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

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    About this audiobook

    A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
    AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR
    OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK

    A powerful and timely story of marriage, class, race and the pursuit of the American Dream. Behold the Dreamers is a dazzling debut novel about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – and of what we’re prepared to sacrifice to hold on to each of them.

    ‘We all do what we gotta do to become American, abi?’

    New York, 2007: a city of dreamers and strivers, where the newly-arrived and the long-established jostle alike for a place on the ladder of success. And Jende Jonga, who has come from Cameroon, has just set his foot on the first rung.

    Clark Edwards is a senior partner at Lehman Brothers bank. In need of a discrete and reliable chauffeur, he is too preoccupied to closely check the paperwork of his latest employee.

    Jende’s new job draws him, his wife Neni and their young son into the privileged orbit of the city’s financial elite. And when Clark’s wife Cindy offers Neni work and takes her into her confidence, the couple begin to believe that the land of opportunity might finally be opening up for them.

    But there are troubling cracks in their employers’ facades, and when the deep fault lines running beneath the financial world are exposed, the Edwards’ secrets threaten to spill out into the Jonga’s lives.

    Faced with the loss of all they have worked for, each couple must decide how far they will go in pursuit of their dreams – and what they are prepared to sacrifice along the way.

    ‘There are no heroes in this marvellous debut, only nuanced human beings. A classic tale with a surprise ending, as deeply insightful as it is delightfully entertaining’ Taiye Selasi

    ‘Imbolo Mbue would be a formidable storyteller anywhere, in any language. It’s our good luck that she and her stories are American’ Jonathan Franzen

    ‘Eerily timely … bittersweet and buoyant’ Jessie Burton, Observer Books of the Year

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateFeb 9, 2017
    ISBN9780008158125
    Unavailable
    Behold the Dreamers: An Oprah’s Book Club pick
    Author

    Imbolo Mbue

    Imbolo Mbue is a native of Limbe, Cameroon. She holds a BS from Rutgers University and an MA from Columbia University. A resident of the United States for more than a decade, she lives in New York City. This is her first novel.

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    Reviews for Behold the Dreamers

    4/5

    572 ratings57 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Phantastisch ! Spannend, komisch, liebenswerte Charaktere, gute Story- rundum gut._
    • 5/5
      It didn't have the ending I expected but I could relate it to my immigrant experience.
    • 4/5
      Imbolo Mbue construye una novela sobre una pareja camerunés y su búsqueda del sueño americano, cómo llegan a mediados de la década del 2000 a Nueva York y se integran a su vida, empiezan a trabajar (él como chófer de un ejecutivo de una de Lehman Brothers y que, una vez quiebra esta compañía tiene que despedirlo; ella con la esposa del ejecutivo). Mbue transmite cómo el sueño americano es una esperanza, pero también puede convertirse en una pesadilla, el encuentro entre la propia cultura y la estadounidense, pero también y sobre todo la dificultad para integrarse al despedido mundo laboral estadounidense.
    • 4/5
      America's relationship with immigrants is complicated, dangling the American dream while at the same time withholding it. This book was an illuminating look at a family from Limbe, Cameroon who try to establish a life for themselves in New York City. Sometimes this works out, and sometimes it doesn't. This was an excellent book, especially from a first time author.Jende Jonga, his wife Neni and their six year old son are living in Harlem. Jende has a job as chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a Lehman Brothers executive, his wife Cindy and their two sons. Neni is studying to be a pharmacist and works as a home health aide. The book illustrates how precarious their position is without green cards. Complicating the lives of the Jonga family is their entanglement with the Edwards family. Cindy, who is weighted down by self pity, eventually causes a crisis for the Jongas. The fact that this book is set at the time of the Lehman Brothers collapse also resonated with me, because I knew many people who lost their jobs then. Prentice Onayemi, the narrator of the audiobook, did a very good job with all of the accents.I received a free copy of the e-book from the publisher, however I wound up borrowing and listening to the audiobook from the library.
    • 3/5
      An interesting story of a couple's pursuit of staying in America after immigrating from Cameroon during the financial crisis. The first half of the book sucks you in, but about 3/4ths in the story gets sloppy and all the characters begin doing horrible and/or stupid things that you kind of understand why, but it just doesn't fit into the story being told or how the characters have been portrayed earlier in the book. Overall a decent read that you will want to finish to see what happens.
    • 4/5
      Immigrants from Cameroon, Jende and Neni, find out that the American Dream isn’t necessarily what it’s cracked up to be. Things start out well, with Jende finding a position as a chauffeur for a wealthy Wall Street executive and Neni getting help in her classes so that she can get good enough grades to keep her student visa. They grow closer to the family Jende works for, but after the market crashes, everything comes tumbling down. I enjoyed the book for the unique perspective on the immigrant experience. The writer comes from the same hometown as our main characters and as such was able to give them an extra dimension of realism. This was Mbue’s first novel and I look forward to her work in the future.
    • 4/5
      A tale of Cameroon immigrants who came to America (NYC) for a better life. Then life got in the way. It's a wonderful story with a lot of dialogue between the couple as well as the people they interact with. So I felt like I knew them (Jende and Neni) quite well and I was invested in them emotionally. Every immigrant's story is different and so it was even between these two people. The book didn't end with the American Dream realized, but it ended with hope for their future.
    • 4/5
      A compulsively readable book for me, partly due to the chapter format, which alternates between the two characters Neni and Jende. At first, the story seems to be straightforward: two immigrants from Cameroon, trying to find a way to become US citizens. But the book is much more complex and nuanced than that. It's ultimately about belonging, in its many meanings - including family and place.
    • 4/5
      I listened the audiobook and thoroughly appreciated the switch in accents and the singing.

      To me it was a story of relationships between family members as well as relationships between families and how it differs based on class and culture and privilege.

      I enjoyed the flow of the story as well. Jende went from hopefulness of a better life in a different country to one of despair and then the realization that going back home may not be such a bad idea because circumstances have changed now.

      Neni though didn't mind staying and fighting for a better life in a different country where she could have the career she dreamed of. As much as she wanted something different for her family she gave in to the culture of her home country and did what her husband wanted, even after seeing a different side of him, but he also saw a different side of her and accepted it.

      The Clarke's had everything money could buy and still Mrs. Clarke was not happy because she needed her family together, she needed to feel included, she needed to feel like she was seen and appreciated. Money couldn't buy those things, but her death was not in vain. In a way it brought her family closer with more focus and appreciation for each other.
    • 4/5
      18. Behold the Dreamers (audio) by Imbolo Mbuereader: Prentice Onayemipublished: 2016format: Overdrive digital audio, 12:14acquired: Libraryread: Apr 13-24rating: 3½I started this blind. I found it on my library Overdrive audiobook list, thought the description had some appeal, put it on a wish list, then promptly forgot the description. After I finished [Homegoing] my thought process was something like, "look, another new African woman novelist. Sounds good."It's an enjoyable first novel about Cameroon illegal immigrants in New York City trying to get asylum. It has a mock formal tone, and a lot of humor with a fairly serious underlying message. All the conversations are unrealistic, but they work, and they are consistent throughout. One thought I had, while listening, was that the book could go on and on and I probably wouldn't mind. It wasn't intense, ever. But it was always entertaining. And reader was excellent, managing remarkably varied key voices.Sadly, with the exception of one notable scene, I think the book was very realistic, to the point that I wouldn't be surprised if Mbue based most of the characters directly off of people she new. They have some unrealistically perfect elements (not perfectly good, but perfectly in character, if that makes sense), but they seem generally very believable. And she carefully avoids judgement, mostly.A week later much of it doesn't stick. But I liked enough and would read Mbue again.
    • 2/5
      This book was such a disappointment. I've heard good things about it but I found myself completely underwhelmed.

      The story follows two Cameroonian immigrants, Jende and Neni Jonga, as they try to live the American dream in New York with their young son. Life is complicated for them, money is hard to hold onto, and everything is uncertain because they don't have green cards. Jende catches a break and becomes chauffeur to a rich man while Neni goes to school but their lives are still far from ideal. As expected, they experience their share of trials and tribulations.

      This is one of those books I had to push myself to pick up each day instead of looking forward to reading it. I was never immersed in it at any point. I felt bad for the characters but I can't say that I actually cared for them, especially Neni who comes off as judgmental. Despite the amount of detail that went into the story I feel that neither Jende nor Neni is fleshed out very much. Jende is especially hard to imagine as a real person for some reason. He's like a cardboard cutout that I had no interest in getting to know. Neni is drawn a liltle better.

      What let me down most is the writing. It's uninspired and flat, often rambling on and on about minute details that don't add much if anything to the story besides filler material. In some areas it's clear that the author had a difficult time wrapping the scene up and moving forward.

      Many conversations seemed stilted, and there are looong passages detailing the entire one-sided phone conversations of the family Jende chauffeurs. Are they telling of what's going on in the background? Yes. But they could have been summed up by the narrator just the same. I also didn't like how many of the alternating Jende/Neni chapters began with pronouns: "She stood at the door knocking silently...", "He had been waiting on the curb...", "She met him at a cafe...", "He was on White Plains Road when the call came in".

      Overall I simply didn't enjoy this book but recommend previewing it for yourself if you're interested. My copy is an ARC so maybe the final copy will be tighter.
    • 4/5
      This was my first attempt at audiobooks and I am so go ad I picked this book, it made the experience that much better for me. Props to the narrator, I really can’t fault it. I’m reserving the last star for when Get around to buying the hard copy.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      Interesting viewpoint if why people migrate to the U.S. and the anxieties, fears, and roadblocks they face.
    • 4/5
      Lovely and hopeful.
    • 3/5
      I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand it is quite an engaging story that kept me reading late into the night, on the other something about it was flat.
      The author tried to take on so many topical issues African illegal immigrants trying to make a go of it in America, the disconnect between the poor and the privileged few, the questionable ethics of Wall Street, gay and civil rights, and the quest for happiness that eludes both rich and poor. One way of redemption, we could surmise from the story, is putting family first, accepting what cannot be changed and letting go of unattainable dreams.

      The story is of Jende, a Cameroonian man who comes to America on a tourist visa, and tries to remain there as an asylum-seeker. He is joined there by his wife Neni and their son. Neni applies to college and has ambitious plans to become a pharmacist. Their life seems to be going swimmingly when Jende gets a job as a driver for Mr. Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Then the stock market crashes and everything takes a dowturn for the family, to which another baby girl is added in the turmoil.

      The author is of African origin herself, yet it disturbed me how stereotypical her characterization of Africans appeared. They are driven by wanting all the things they are deprived of. They are set in their own ways. Gender roles are set in stone despite outward pretense to the contrary. Their desire to live in America is purely materialistic and to achieve it they contemplate, and sometimes make morally abhorrent choices. They slave away in America for material wealth yet they fail to see the spiritual side of it. At some point Neni frequents a liberal Church downtown, but her relationship with the Church was purely self-serving and had no element of moral guidance, she only sought justifications and ways to connect and remain in America. I felt that there is an undertone of self-berating in the African characterization, even when it comes to the handful of successful Africans. For example there are glaring flaws in the character of the successful lawyer, Winston, who has expensive taste and goes out with white women he never intends to marry.

      The white people in the story came out also one-dimensional, with the exception of Cindy Edwards, who has deep issues. But still, they are mostly pursuing the same illusion of happiness with their fancy decorated houses, designer clothes and expensive receptions.

      One reviewer pointed out that the action in the story resembled that of a soap opera, and I could not agree more. Especially toward the end Jende and Neni were like puppets following the script to its conclusion. Their behavior choices also became increasingly strange, selfish, defensive, self-justifying and childish. I felt that at ultimately they came away with all the vices, but none of the virtues of America. All they thought about was how they would look different from those at home, and how much richer they will be. What did they learn from the experience on a moral level? Not much. The white folk where a bit luckier in their development.
    • 5/5
      Wow! I feel lucky to have landed two phenomenal audiobooks in a row. This really shone for me. The reader Prentice Onayemi was just stellar (note to self: go listen to everything else he's read) and really brought the strong story even more life than it had already. The characters shine, and the story crescendos a half dozen times before the end keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole way. Love it.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful characters and a realistic story despite the name.
    • 4/5
      This book has so historical bits around the time of the end of George W. Bush's administration and beginning of Obama's. The economy of America was a recession. The main characters are from Africa. They want to get citizenship in America. They come when things aren't as bad. When the recession hits, they see the American dream floating away. This is a thought-provoking book for people from America and other countries. There are several characters besides the main couple who add to it. I was really interested to see what would come of everything. Their fate is sort of wrapped up with a rich couple. They work for them. The man is involved with one of the investment companies that dealt such a blow to the stock market. This wasn't a narrative I've heard before so it really kept my interest.
    • 4/5
      Follows the ups and downs, joys, frustrations, and complications of the immigrant experience in America. All the stories are different, even for the various characters in this book but it's a good point of view for non-immigrant citizens to chew on. So many of us have people in our families who went through some of these same things. Let's one appreciate the courage to come here and the good (and bad) points of living here.
    • 4/5
      A poignant examination of the American Dream and the immigrant experience, as seen in 2008, during the economic recession. It veers slightly into melodrama but rates a solid 4.5 stars.
    • 3/5
      I never knew exactly where this story of Cameroon immigrants and a wealthy New York family was going. There is a lot of American Dream and Biblical teaching juxtaposed throughout. The characters are very dynamic (maybe not the friends) and make unexpected decisions or choices. The story unveils well, especially some of the back story. Great for book clubs because there is so much to discuss!
    • 3/5
      I read this for the "A Character That Is An Immigrant" part of my 2019 reading challenge. I found it pretty slow, I enjoyed the first half of the story more than the second half. I was pretty disappointed in his decision in the end.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book but it took me awhile to get into the book. I found parts of it long and boring. I was interested in how their lives intertwined and how coming from foreign country affected their take on how life in the US was to them.Neni and Jende Jonga came to America for a better life. As times change in America and Jende trying to get asylum in America and having it put off for a few years. Jende becomes a chauffeur for the Edwards family and they start planning all the things they will do with the money they are making.As Wall Street has some problems Jendi and Neni worry about Jendi's job with Mr. Edwards. Once he loses his job and has to find a new one things change and so do Neni and Jendi. That is when it started to get interesting.
    • 4/5
      Die Geschichte einer Familie aus Kamerun, Jende, Neni und ihr Sohn, die notgedrungen abseits legaler Wege in die USA und nach New York gekommen ist, um dort ihr Glück zu versuchen, weil es in ihrem Heimatland keine Perspektive gibt. Auch in den USA bleibt ihre Situation finanziell und aufgrund des ungeklärten Bleiberechts zunächst prekär.Jende findet überraschend einen Job als Fahrer des Managers Clark Edwards von Lehman Brothers, jener Bank, die einige Monate später pleite gehen wird. Dieses Ereignis wird sich direkt und indirekt auf das Leben beider Familien auswirken.Das Buch wirkte in weiten Teilen sehr authentisch auf mich, vor allem aus der Perspektive des Paares aus Kamerun und ihres sozialen Umfeldes.Die Familie Edwards entspricht weitgehend dem erwartbaren Bild einer "typischen" Upper class Familie, wie man sie sich eben so vorstellt - trotz all ihres Geldes nicht glücklich.Mir hat die einfache Art des Erzählens und der direkten Rede gut gefallen, und ich meine auch etwas über die kamerunische Kultur gelernt zu haben. Im letzten Viertel aber, nach der dramatischen Zuspitzung, die noch interessant ist, verliert sich das Buch und zieht sich streckenweise arg hin. Dennoch empfehlenswert.
    • 4/5
      This is a novel (which very much reminded me of T.C. Boyle's Tortilla Curtain) of the connected and contrasting lives of two very different families. Jende comes to America from Cameroon seeking asylum, later bringing his wife Neni and son to join him. Although his emigration status is uncertain, he lands a job as the driver for the wealthy Edwards family, consisting of Clark, an executive at Lehmann Brothers, his wife Cindy, and their two sons. Shortly after the book opens, the 2008 financial meltdown begins. Events unfold which for both families threaten their version of the American dream.I enjoyed this version of the interaction between the wealthy and the poor in NYC. The characters are realistic, and mostly sympathetically portrayed. Some of the Wall Street stuff, mostly conversations Clark has that we overhear, didn't feel authentic to me, and I enjoyed Jende's part of the story more. I thought there was a lot of insight into the immigrant experience, which (obviously) has become even more tenuous since the time period during which this book is set. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      An interesting story of a couple's pursuit of staying in America after immigrating from Cameroon during the financial crisis. The first half of the book sucks you in, but about 3/4ths in the story gets sloppy and all the characters begin doing horrible and/or stupid things that you kind of understand why, but it just doesn't fit into the story being told or how the characters have been portrayed earlier in the book. Overall a decent read that you will want to finish to see what happens.
    • 5/5
      The riveting story of a young couple from Cameroon who have immigrated to New York City but who find themselves thwarted in their dreams by the Great Recession.
    • 4/5
      Stilted conversations and a little contrived in parts, but timely and nuanced view from the point of Jende and Neni Jonga, Cameroonian immigrants who work for a wealthy Lehman Brothers executive leading up to and through the fall and financial crisis in 2007. The two families intertwine in unexpected ways.
    • 4/5
      an immigrant's perspective; well written and easy to read