Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club) Audiobook Summary
A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream—the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy
New York Times Bestseller • Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • Longlisted for the PEN/Open Book Award • An ALA Notable Book
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
NPR • The New York Times Book Review • San Francisco Chronicle • The Guardian • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Chicago Public Library • BookPage • Refinery29 • Kirkus Reviews
Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses’ summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future.
However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades.
When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.
Praise for Behold the Dreamers
“A debut novel by a young woman from Cameroon that illuminates the immigrant experience in America with the tenderhearted wisdom so lacking in our political discourse . . . Mbue is a bright and captivating storyteller.”—The Washington Post
“A capacious, big-hearted novel.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Behold the Dreamers’ heart . . . belongs to the struggles and small triumphs of the Jongas, which Mbue traces in clean, quick-moving paragraphs.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Mbue’s writing is warm and captivating.”—People (book of the week)
“[Mbue’s] book isn’t the first work of fiction to grapple with the global financial crisis of 2007–2008, but it’s surely one of the best. . . . It’s a novel that depicts a country both blessed and doomed, on top of the world, but always at risk of losing its balance. It is, in other words, quintessentially American.”—NPR
“This story is one that needs to be told.”—Bust
“Behold the Dreamers challenges us all to consider what it takes to make us genuinely content, and how long is too long to live with our dreams deferred.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“[A] beautiful, empathetic novel.”—The Boston Globe
“A witty, compassionate, swiftly paced novel that takes on race, immigration, family and the dangers of capitalist excess.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Mbue [is] a deft, often lyrical observer. . . . [Her] meticulous storytelling announces a writer in command of her gifts.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
Other Top Audiobooks
Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club) Audiobook Narrator
Prentice Onayemi is the narrator of Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club) audiobook that was written by Imbolo Mbue
About the Author(s) of Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club)
Imbolo Mbue is the author of Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club)
More From the Same
- Author : Imbolo Mbue
- How Beautiful We Were
Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club) Full Details
Narrator | Prentice Onayemi |
Length | 6 hours 56 minutes |
Author | Imbolo Mbue |
Category | |
Publisher | Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group |
Release date | May 11, 2024 |
ISBN | 9780147523105 |
Subjects
The publisher of the Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club) is Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group. includes the following subjects: black history, oprahs book club, black authors, drama, white privilege, african american authors, oprahs book club list, book club books, books by black authors, relationship books, international, relationships, marriage, PEN Faulkner Award Winner, contemporary fiction, the American dream, Literary Fiction, Family Life, money, immigration, class, upstairs downstairs, privilege, Lehman Brothers, Oprah's Book Club, Oprah book club, africa, american dream, cameroon, family, black history books, african american books, Fiction, Literary, Fiction, Cultural Heritage, Fiction, Family Life The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, Literary
Additional info
The publisher of the Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club) is Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group. The imprint is Random House Audio. It is supplied by Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group. The ISBN-13 is 9780147523105.
Global Availability
This book is only available in the United States.
Frequently asked questions
Listening to audiobooks not only easy, it is also very convenient. You can listen to audiobooks on almost every device. From your laptop to your smart phone or even a smart speaker like Apple HomePod or even Alexa. Here’s how you can get started listening to audiobooks.
- 1. Download your favorite audiobook app such as Speechify.
- 2. Sign up for an account.
- 3. Browse the library for the best audiobooks and select the first one for free
- 4. Download the audiobook file to your device
- 5. Open the Speechify audiobook app and select the audiobook you want to listen to.
- 6. Adjust the playback speed and other settings to your preference.
- 7. Press play and enjoy!
While you can listen to the bestsellers on almost any device, and preferences may vary, generally smart phones are offer the most convenience factor. You could be working out, grocery shopping, or even watching your dog in the dog park on a Saturday morning.
However, most audiobook apps work across multiple devices so you can pick up that riveting new Stephen King book you started at the dog park, back on your laptop when you get back home.
Speechify is one of the best apps for audiobooks. The pricing structure is the most competitive in the market and the app is easy to use. It features the best sellers and award winning authors. Listen to your favorite books or discover new ones and listen to real voice actors read to you. Getting started is easy, the first book is free.
Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.
Audiobooks are recordings of books that are read aloud by a professional voice actor. The recordings are typically available for purchase and download in digital formats such as MP3, WMA, or AAC. They can also be streamed from online services like Speechify, Audible, AppleBooks, or Spotify.
You simply download the app onto your smart phone, create your account, and in Speechify, you can choose your first book, from our vast library of best-sellers and classics, to read for free.
Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.
It depends. Yes, there are free audiobooks and paid audiobooks. Speechify offers a blend of both!
It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.