Striving for a Better Life

I’ve been thinking about my ancestors lately while listening to the rhetoric on immigration in this Presidential election. Somehow my great grandparents managed to make what was properly an arduous trip to America and become citizens.

One day I hope to look into my family’s genealogy and track down my roots. I’m sort of a mutt with Irish, English, Scottish and Dutch grandparents, but my maiden name is Sullivan, so I’d start with the Irish part of my lineage.

The Sullivans probably came here during or after the Great Famine between 1845-1849 when about two million Irish emigrated with 70 percent of them going to America, 28 percent to Canada and 2 percent to Australia.

When I began reading this wonderful book, I thought about my Irish ancestors and how difficult it must have been to leave their country, probably starving from years of famine, cramped onto a freighter or other in an ill-equipped boat over the Atlantic and then arriving at Ellis Island without money, a job or food. I’ve often wondered what they felt when they passed the Statute of Liberty. Was this country all they hoped it to be? How long did it take them to adjust? Did they ever want to leave?

The author presents us with a present-day immigration story. What does it feel like to be an immigrant today? Definitely, some differences from when my ancestors came to America, but that promise of hope for a better life still draws millions of people.

This story begins in Harlem, NY right before the financial crisis of 2007. Jende Jonga and his wife Neni and their six-year-old son, Liomi have moved from Cameroon to find a better life. Jende is trying to get his asylum application approved. Neni is on a student visa and is attending college and working. Jende drives a taxi, but finds a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards and his family. Edwards is an executive with Lehman Brothers.

The author contrast the wealth and poverty of the two families including their strengths and weaknesses beautifully, subtly and with love. Everyone in the story is humanly flawed and very realistic. But to me, it’s the tale of the two women that moved me the most. At times, their actions were horrible and at other times I thought – oh no, someone help them. They desperately fought to keep their lives from spinning out of control.

Jende ends up doing what he believes is the best thing for his family and sets his mind to nothing else. Neni can do nothing to persuade him from his decision. I’m not sure I would have followed Jende, but I was born and raised here.

Enjoying friendship, wine, dinner and reading

My book club really enjoyed reading this novel. Jende and Neni have all the hope you’d think an immigrant from an improvised country would have. We rooted for them all the way through the book. And we couldn’t help liking the Edwards family too, warts and all.

We talked about how difficult it is to adapt to a new culture.* We also talked about how the characters reacted to what was happening to them and if we would react the same way. We finished with a conversation on how materialism worked its way into the characters’ lives.

The novel is a quick and interesting read for anyone, and a good discussion novel for book clubs.

Rating: 8.5

*One of our members heard the author speak at the Morristown Festival of Books on October 1, 2016. Ms. Mbue was on an author panel whose topic was “When Cultures Clash – a Global View of Fiction.” Our member was very impressed with the panel and the discussion. Ms. Mbue was a native of Limbe, Cameroon. She received a BA from Rutgers University and an MFA from Colombia. She currently lives in New York City.

One thought on “Striving for a Better Life

  1. I really enjoyed this book and the conversations it sparked. No matter your views on immigration, the book is a reminder
    of the strength and grit required to make a life here as an immigrant. It also highlights the challenge of embracing work
    and life in America while trying to preserve key parts of your homeland’s culture. And I recalled a powerful warning in
    Behold the Dreamers–the grass certainly isn’t always greener on the other side. The people you envy may be jealous of
    what you have!

Leave a Reply