A review by richardbakare
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s long-awaited next novel is a deeply reflective one on a contemporary experience of four women and their aspirations, anguish, and joys. It peers wearily into Nigeria’s past for some character build-up but mostly makes us look squarely on the modern concerns and issues the women face. I specifically like the direct placement of some of the timeline in the middle of the Pandemic and MeToo movements. 

The whole narrative reminded me of Bernadine Evaristo’s “Girl, Woman, Other,” which shed light on the intricacies of non-confirming lifestyles and non-hetero-centric male-centric experiences. In many ways, this novel paints a clear picture of the widening gulf between men and women. Specifically, the gap between what is being said when we are saying anything. One sex expecting a deeper inference of meaning while the other doesn’t try to look below their surface.   

The character and plot development of all four perspectives work in dialogue with each other. Creating a larger thread that highlights how so many women are deserving of greater happiness but accept less than they deserve. Adichie gives us a mix of realities and outcomes that speaks to the many complicated dilemmas and outcomes women experience daily. The fact that these four women are African adds a richness to the tapestry of female voices we encounter. The whole time I had Sade’s “No Ordinary Love” playing as the soundtrack to this novel in my head. 
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