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Mbue’s Commentary on Race Relations During the 2008 Financial Crisis is Still Relevant Today
Mbue provides a transparent look on how the fate of one family pursuing the American Dream depends on the fate of another
In her novel, Behold the Dreamers, author Imbolo Mbue’s shares her observations of the hardships of an immigrant family seeking the American Dream in New York City during the finiancial crisis of 2008. Through her characters she gives voice to the inequality of race relations that we still see in the 2020s.
It was George Floyd’s recorded demise in 2020 that brought the inequality to the forefront in a time fraught with tension. When so many were willing to look the other way when it came to racial inequality and the abuse of a flawed system, we could no longer look away or ignore it. However, if we just read, we can find evidence recorded in our books.
Behold the Dreamers is a novel by Imbolo Mbue, and Prentice Onayemi narrates the audiobook. Onayemi’s stunning performance provides a melodic tone to the story of a Cameroonian family pursuing the American Dream. His lyrical voice captures the character of Jende Jonga through his excitement and frustration of having the American Dream within his grasp and his struggles to keep it. In…
