Americanah — on identity, self-knowledge, politicization and true love: Ifemelu and Obinze meet and fall in love in military-ruled Nigeria. Both are young and ambitious; both have plans to depart for the west. Their experiences overseas force them to grapple with issues they had never had to consider before: what it means to be part of a minority, whether individual needs should be subordinated to group needs in the fight for status and respect, the politicization of self-expression, whether love can endure despite lies, distance, and brutally harsh truths. Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an exceptionally gifted writer, who deftly — and with wry humor — observes the contradictions, hypocrisy and frailty that often peppers human interaction. You come to know her characters intimately, and you miss them when the book ends.