This was a very compelling story reflective of contemporary America's political and economic state. The story centers around Jende, a Cameroonian immigrant who is awaiting a response to his asylum application for citizenship. He lives in Harlem and works work a Lehman Brothers exec during a time when the company was headed towards its decline. Jende has brought over his wife, who dreams of going to college to become a pharmacist and his young son. Jende's wife Neni gets to work teporarily the wife of Jende's boss and soon discovers that all that glitters isn't necessarilu gold.
The author tackles issues of race, class, immigration, family conflict, money and immigration. The author tells the story in an almost poetic fashion even though the topics addressed are heavy and heartbreaking at times. This book is extremely relevant to the state of affairs in the US today because it depicts the differing definitions of the "American Dream" the difficulties and nuances of the immigration process and the dangers of living in excess. The story shows many different perspectives and allows for all characters to be seen as flawed but human at the core. Given today's political climate and anti-immigrant sentiment, this is a story that everyone needs to read.