Behold the Dreamers Book Review

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

 Behold the Dreamers is the first book by Imbolo Mbue.

We first meet Jende Jonga on his way to an interview with Clark Edwards, a wall street investment banker working at Lehman brothers for the job of chauffeur, a job which he gets. As the story unfolds, we learn that Jende is from Limbe, Cameroon and has immigrated to the US to pursue the American dream. As the story unfolds, we meet his wife, Neni, and 6-year old son, Liomi, once he is able to save enough money to pay for their tickets, and once they are able to obtain visas to the US.

Jende is hardworking, and a proud, traditional husband and father. He considers it important to be the principal breadwinner for his family is clearly the head of the family, who makes the decisions. Neni has big dreams. She wants to be a pharmacist and she wants her son to be able to choose any career. When her son tells her that he wants to be a chauffeur like his father, she laughs and says that people don’t choose to become a chauffeur but end up one when they have few options.

Two Families

The story is about the Jonga family, and the Edwards family to the extent that their lives intersect. Their lives couldn’t be more dissimilar on the surface, and yet they are both victims in some way and there are times of real connection between the members of the two families. All the adults are caught in situations where they have very little control, and any attempt to wrest control is thwarted. Clark is thwarted by his bosses, Jende by the immigration system, and both wives by the choices of their husbands. We also discover that Cindy, Clark’s wife had a horrible childhood that has left deep scars. This leaves all the adults in a state of desperation and fear. There is drug abuse, a financial crisis, sexual indiscretion and blackmail and neither family comes out of the crises unscathed.

When Jende arrived in the US, with a ticket purchased by a cousin who was already living in the US and working as a practicing lawyer, he filed an asylum application to remain in the US, using a story that he concocted with his lawyer. When that fails, he falls into despair. The stress is compounded when he loses his job and has to work several jobs for substantially less money than he made before. Also, Neni gives birth to a baby girl during this time. The family is faced with a difficult choice and husband and wife want different things. I’m not going to spoil the ending but you should be able to at least guess who gets to decide.

Themes Explored in Behold the Dreamers

• Immigration
• Wealth and Poverty
• Power and Submission
• Interracial relationships
• Black relations (touched on)
• Class and Priviledge
• Desperation and Hope
• Drug Abuse
• Morality and the Concept of Right and Wrong

I think that all these themes make the book a good one for a book club. It also raises the question of What Makes a Good Life, something that I’ve been pondering. Is there anything universal about a good life?

If you have read the book, please share your impressions with me. Also, can you recommend another book that you think I will enjoy?

Note: The links to the book are affiliate links. It’s one way of supporting my blog. You won’t be charged any more than usual but I get a small affiliate fee from Amazon if you purchase the book using my link.

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