Behold the Dreamers

Perfectly situated during the financial crisis of 2008, Behold the Dreamers is a sublime exploration of our country's enduring and questionable promise: the American Dream. This dazzling debut revolves around two very different New York families in a familiar and inevitably fraught relationship: the wealthy privileged employer, and the aspiring immigrant employee. The beauty of the book resides in the voices of the latter.

The story is told from the viewpoint of the ebullient Jende Jonga, an immigrant from Cameroon, and his wife, Neni, who recently joined her husband in America with their young son. Their dream? A green card for Jende; a future in America. When Jende is hired as a chauffeur for a high-flying Lehman Brothers executive and his wife and two sons, it seems like the luckiest of breaks. But soon the two families will become entwined in ways that are both fruitful and destructive.

Once I started this book, I couldn't stop. I fell in love with Jende and Neni, their friends and relatives, their New York. I was deeply invested in their joy and sacrifice, determination and hope. I was bereft when I reached the last page because I didn't want to let go of their story. I still hear their voices in my head, still wonder what they're doing and if they're happy.

That Mbue manages to deftly turn critical issues like immigration, marital conflict and class disparity into a revelatory page-turner is a testament to her storytelling gifts, which are immense. Smart, funny, full-throated, Behold the Dreamers will get under your skin and cling to your heart in the way only the best books can. These characters will walk beside me for a very long time.