Adichie’s ‘Americanah’ named among books shaping fiction in 21st century

Chimamanda Adichie’s novel, Americanah, has been listed in the New York Times’ list of 15 remarkable books by women that are shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century.

Adichie is no stranger to accolades as her first novel Purple Hibiscus was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun won the Orange Prize.

Adichie was profiled by Dwight Garner, an American journalist and literary critic.

Garner wrote: “It’s a resonant and fiercely intellectual novel about a Nigerian woman named Ifemelu who leaves Africa for America and suffers here before starting a blog called “Raceteenth or Various Observations About American Blacks (Those Formerly Known as Negroes) by a Non-American Black” and winning a fellowship at Princeton.

“Adichie works both high and low; she’s as adept at dissecting internet and hair salon culture as she is at parsing the overlapping and ever-changing meanings of class and race in the United States.

“Americanah” brings news, on many fronts, about how a new generation of immigrants is making its way in the world. It has lessons for every human about how to live.”

Adichie’s recent effort, ‘Dear Ijeawele’, was named among the best books of 2017