AmericanahAmericanah
Score Modern
What it's about
Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love as teenagers in military-ruled Nigeria. Ifemelu leaves for college in America, where she discovers for the first time what it means to be Black and eventually writes a sharp, popular blog about race. Obinze, unable to get a visa after 9/11, ends up living undocumented in London. Fifteen years later, both have succeeded in their own ways, and Ifemelu decides to return home to Lagos.
Why it's worth reading
It's a love story, a social satire and one of the smartest novels ever written about race, immigration and identity, and it's often very funny. It won the NBCC Award and is on the New York Times list of the best books of the century.
You'll love it if you liked
Pachinko
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Great BelieversGood to know
It's long, about 480 pages, and moves between Nigeria, the US and the UK and between past and present. Ifemelu's blog posts appear throughout.
By the numbers
- Readers91 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics87 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller76 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz2 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #3 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #10 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #18 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Olive Kitteridge
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Quick answers
Is Americanah worth reading?
Yes. It's a love story, a social satire and one of the smartest novels ever written about race, immigration and identity, and it's often very funny. It ranks #18 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 91.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Americanah about?
Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love as teenagers in military-ruled Nigeria. Ifemelu leaves for college in America, where she discovers for the first time what it means to be Black and eventually writes a sharp, popular blog about race. Obinze, unable to get a visa after 9/11, ends up living undocumented in London. Fifteen years later, both have succeeded in their own ways, and Ifemelu decides to return home to Lagos.
How long does it take to read Americanah?
About 12 hours (477 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Americanah won?
NBCC Award (Fiction) winner (2013).
What should I read after Americanah?
If you liked it, try Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini or The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai.