greetings fellow book detectives to a new case of literary Intrigue grab your magnifying glass as we uncover the secrets hidden within the pages of Americana by chimamanda ngozi adichie part 1 chapters one two Americana by chimamanda and gozi adichie is the story of if Malu and obinze two young Nigerians who are deeply in love but have dreams of a bigger life outside of Nigeria the novel follows their stories as IFI Malu moves to America to pursue an education while obin's travels to London when he finds himself unable to follow of melu to the United States chapter 1 begins with ethmaelu in Princeton Waiting for a Train to take her to Trenton to get her hair braided ifimalu likes Princeton and regrets that she has to go to Trenton to find an African hair braiding salon as she travels to the salon she thinks about the blog she writes and that she would normally be looking for an encounter that she could use as inspiration for a blog post however she is closing her blog because she is moving back to Nigeria in spite of the success she's found in America femalu arrives at mariama African Hair Braiding and it is a rundown Shop with a broken down air conditioner her braider Aisha questions why ifemalu doesn't relax her hair Ethan Malu responds by saying she likes it the way God made it and proceeds to comb through it with a comb she's brought from home a Nigerian film is playing on the shop television and when Aisha says she likes Nigerian films ethimulu thinks how good it is to hear someone say something positive about Nigeria when aish learns ifemalu is igba she wants iPhone to talk to her two boyfriends who are Igbo and convince one of them to marry Aisha as ifemalu sits in the chair she sends an email to obins to tell him she's moving back to Nigeria Aisha is shocked that a woman who has been in America for 15 years would move back to Nigeria ephemylou casually says she's going back to America to see her Man chapter 2 focuses on obes who is sitting in the back of his expensive car in busy Legos traffic when the email from ifamalu arrives which makes obins very happy his wife Cosi calls and asks where he is as she always does when she calls when she calls when he arrives home Cosi is dressed for the party they are attending at Chief's house chief is obin's employer kosian obinze talk about his day and he thinks about how kosi is only concerned that her life stays the way it is obenze is employed by Chief because he persistently hung around Chief until an opportunity presented itself and he was able to make a good business deal that lead to his hiring at the party Cosi is approached by several people who tell her where she should take her daughter for school she agrees with all of them to avoid conflict obenze finds himself touching his BlackBerry and wishing he could go home to send an email to ifamalu he remembers running into Randy noodle at the mall and how she fawned over him because of his new wealth when Obin Zay and cozy get home from the party obinze is hungry sokosi asks their house girl to bring him food Cosi is very paranoid about house girls because she is afraid they will seduce her husband obenze Retreats into his study and listens to music he once listened to with ifamalu while writing her an email he makes no mention of COSI in the message part 2 chapters 3 chapter 3 begins with iPhone still at the braiding shop mariyama goes to pick up food and while she is gone Aisha calls her boyfriend chijoke who says he will come to meet Iceman protests and Aisha says she must speak Igbo to chijioke but then questions whether or not iPhone still knows Igbo which offends if melu the storyline then shifts the past and focuses on either malu's upbringing in Nigeria her mother's hair is very beautiful and a point of Pride but when afimalu is 10 years old her mother cuts it all off saying that she's been saved and the family will now begin attending a new church after that ethanolu's mother is a different woman who no longer laughs or sings Ethan malu's mother is very religious and prays for the general who she refers to as Auntie you Jews Mentor rather than admitting he's a Jew's lover Auntie uzu's relationship with the general is a source of Gossip since she is obviously living a higher lifestyle than her own income would afford a family's mother says the gifts femalu's father is fired from his job because he refuses to call his new boss Mummy he is unable to find work he becomes depressed and very quiet no longer showing off the intelligence he had once been so proud of the family is unable to pay their rent and the landlord comes to tell them they owe three months rent when the landlord leaves IFA mallu's mother invites her husband to join her at church and then go with them to see Auntie uju's new house on Dolphin Island he refuses and I familiar's mother comments that a Jewish mother comments that uju is fortunate to be able to afford such a nice house if the Malou points out that anti-uju isn't paying for the house which irritates her mother at church ifamalu gets into a disagreement with sister ibanabo mainly because sister ibnabo mainly because sister ibnabo reminds her of her own mother using religion to hide her own desires when she returns home she is scolded for embarrassing her mother Auntie uju talks to ifemalu about it and reminds her she doesn't have to say everything she thinks chapter 4 focuses on obenze and ifemalu meeting for the first time obiense has just moved the Lagos from ensukka where his mother was a professor at the University obins immediately fits in and becomes one of the popular boys obenze attends a party at Coyote's house where he is supposed to beginika's date but he and if melu feel an immediate connection and spend the evening talking they become an Inseparable couple after that in chapter 5 ginika is preparing to move to America guineica doesn't want to go but her friends think she is lucky they gather at her house and talk about which of them is lucky enough to have their own American passport and miniki says he doesn't have a passport now but his father has promised him one when he goes to America for University the other kids know that his family could never afford to send him to America themalu doesn't want to admit to opens that she doesn't have a passport her family doesn't have as much money as the other students families she is only able to attend the same school because she did so well on her exams and her father insisted she go to a good school opens a fits in better with the other kids the knife melu does he is very knowledgeable about America and reads American books ifamalu sometimes feels like their relationship will end because she has so little in common with him fimalu goes to obin's house and meets his mother obin's mother is sophisticated and she and obinte have an atypical parent child relationship acting more like friends when obin's mother leaves the house one day while ifemalu was there she and obinze go to his bedroom and lay on his bed kissing and touching when obin's mother returns she realizes what has been happening and takes ifamelu aside to talk to her about safe sex saying she must be the responsible one chapter six Begins by further describing anti-uju's relationship with the general anti-uju spends weekday evenings with the general but is free to lounge around on the weekends because the general is with his wife she is mindful of her looks and uses expensive products to help her skin look lighter her house has many amenities that a femalus doesn't ephemylou tries to convince her parents to let her stay with aju during the week but her father refuses even though her mother is for the idea the landlord comes again and demands two years rent ephemylou goes to Auntie ujju for help and is surprised to learn that yuju has no money of her own however she goes to the general who gives her the money femalu is worried for uju because she is so dependent on the general Auntie uju becomes pregnant with the General's child the general is happy about the baby and sends uju to America to give birth there yuju names the baby Dyke and gives him her surname instead of the generals the general helps throw and elaborate first birthday party for Dyke and dies the next week in a plane crash his relatives force a Jew and Dyke to move out of the house and they go to America in chapter 7 if Emma Lou and obenzei are filling out forms for University they both go to university in etsuka to be closer to obin's mother because she feels like she fits in better there however the faculty is often on strike because the government fails to pay them when I see Malu thinks she is pregnant obin's mother steps in to help and they discover she has appendicitis obins's mother again cautions her to be the responsible one in the relationship at the start of chapter 8 anti-uju has been in America for four years she encourages of melu to come to America to continue her education there because the faculty at the University in sukkah is on strike so often ginnica helps Ife Malu apply to school in the Philadelphia area and which she is accepted obenze tells her to go he will follow her when he has finished University the beginning of chapter 9 returns to the present day with if Malu still having her hair braided the women in the shop talk about a young customer who has just left the customer has two children they say that girls in America learn about sex too soon and that would never happen in Africa the shop is very hot and it reminds if Malu of her first summer in America so the focus shifts again to the Past fimalu spends the first summer at Auntie uju's house where she forms an immediate connection with Dyke who is in first grade raid he introduces her to his Hispanic babysitter high femalu is confused by the term Hispanic and it later becomes the inspiration for a blog post which is included in this chapter Auntie uju suggests she take care of dyke for the summer and look for work using a friend's social security number when she starts school since she won't be able to work using her student visa fimalugo's grocery shopping with uju and notices she only buys what is on sale instead of what she needs she also notices that yuju acts differently around white people and admonishes ithamelu for speaking Igbo to Dyke uju is tired and tells iPhone she thought her life would be better by now part 2 chapters 10 16. chapter 10 describes ith malu's first summer in America she spends her days watching Dyke and sitting with their neighbor Jane who is a young woman from Grenada Jane tells ifimilu the biggest difference she's seen in America is in the raising of children because it's harder to control them in America when Jane's husband makes a pass at a family she avoids both of them and spends her time with Dyke making up gain when she discovers that dyke is not yet learning long division she decides to teach him fimalu also spends that summer discovering how different food in America is Dyke finds it strange that people in Nigeria eat bananas with peanuts themalu is also captivated by American commercials and the Evening News the Evening News frightens her because there is so much reporting on crime and violence in Nigeria the news was full of army officers giving speeches and cutting ribbons auntie says Nigeria has crime too they just don't report it in chapter 11 Auntie uju tells if melu she's met a Nigerian man named Bartholomew who wants to settle down when Bartholomew comes to visit he treats Dyke with indifference and acts as though he is evaluating uju's potential as a wife femalu does not like him when he comments on a woman on television wearing a short dress and says women in Nigeria would never dress like that I family tells him that's not true and girls in Nigeria wear even shorter dresses that night ifemalu tells uju that in Nigeria a man like Bartholomew wouldn't even be brave enough to talk to a woman like uju aju shrugs and says he's not bad and has a good job Auntie uju passes her medical exams and says she'll have to take her braids out and relax her hair for inner interviews a femalu feels like uju has left a part of herself behind in Nigeria ifemalu leaves for college and as she looks at the license and social security card of the woman she's meant to impersonate to get a job she says to Auntie uju that the woman doesn't look like her auntie uju says it doesn't matter because to white people they all look the same in chapter 12 ginnica is waiting at the bus station when a female who arrives in Philadelphia ginica who looks very different speaks in Nigerian English as though trying to convince ifeu she hasn't changed she tells ifumelu that in America she is supposed to be offended by people who call her half cast even though that was a compliment in Nigeria ifimalu and ginnica go dress shopping there are two sales people in the store one is black and the other is white when they take a dress up to the cashier the cashier asks which sales person helped them they go through a series of questions to determine which salesperson it was and when they leave the store ithamalu asks gynica why the cashier didn't just ask if it was the black girl or the white girl ginnica tells her that in America they aren't supposed to notice such things fimalu moves into a Shabby apartment with three other girls Malu doesn't fit in with these girls who live with such certainty buying things whenever they want them she also doesn't understand some of the cultural norms she's invited to go to a party and is surprised when her roommates don't dress up the topic of how people in America dress becomes the topic of a blog post in which iphemylou observes that Americans are so self-fulfilled that they don't bother about how they look to other people chapter 13 finds if Menlo is struggling to find employment she has some trouble at first remembering to use the name of the persons whose identity she has borrowed she applies for many jobs and has no luck femalu's money begins to run out and she receives a letter telling her she must pay her tuition or her records will be Frozen when she calls obins and tells him this he advised her to get on a payment plan she finds their phone conversations calming and feels like she can just be herself with him she also continues to call Dyke and when she receives a piece of junk mail with her name on it she tells Dyke about it because it makes her feel somehow less invisible in chapter 14 if femalu registers for her college classes the woman at the registration desk speaks very slowly to ifemalu as though she doesn't understand English femalu realizes it's because of her accent and so begins to practice speaking with an American accent IFA Mallu finds her classes to be very easy but still struggles to understand America obinza suggests she read American books to learn more she begins to spend a great deal of time at the library which she loves because the books are in good condition unlike in Nigeria she writes letters to obinze about the book she's read and finally understands the power books have over him obinze tells her she is starting to sound more American in History Class ifamalu watches Roots the class discusses the movie and an African student asks why the word was bleeped out since it's a word that has caused a lot of people pain and it's insulting to move it this incites a passionate discussion ifemalu approaches the woman who started the conversation and is invited to attend a meeting of the African Students Association asaki ethmaelu feels at home at the meeting surrounded by people who understand her experience there is also a black student union but that is for Black Americans ether Malu wonders which club Dyke will attend when he is in college Auntie uju calls iPhone and tells her she and Dyke are moving to Manhattan with Bartholomew uju says she and Bartholomew will be going to court to get married so Bartholomew can act as Dyke's legal parent in chapter 15 ifemalu responds to an ad for an assistant for a tennis coach when she meets him she discovers he is looking for someone to help him relax with sexual favors she tells the man she'll think about it and leaves she continues to apply for many different jobs including a job as a nanny for a woman named Kimberly that guineica did some charity work with she is unsuccessful in finding a job in her roommates leave her notes reminding her that she needs to pay her portion of the rent femalu finally goes to the tennis coach's house in desperation and is paid for allowing him to touch her afterward she falls into a deep depression and stops communicating with obenze genica calls her to ask what is going on since obin's ain't undue have been calling her she also tells if memolu that Kimberly called asking for ifem malu's number because she has decided to hire her as a babysitter the beginning of chapter 16 Kimberly gives if melu a signing bonus because ginnica has told her about if malu's recent challenges IFI Malou is able to pay some bills and send gifts to her parents she hasn't spoken to obenze and deletes his emails she tells herself she'll give herself a month to feel better and then contact him while IFI Malu is babysitting at Kimberly's one day a carpet cleaner arrives he is hostile toward her at first but changes when I femalu indicates she is not the homeowner this incident is the basis for a blog post in which ifemalu remarks that it wouldn't have mattered to the man if she'd had a lot of money she was not his idea of the person that should own that home because of the way she looks if Malu calls auntie uju's house to speak with Dyke and Auntie uju tells her that dyke has been asking about his name he asks if he has his mother's surname because his father didn't love him femalu suggests it's probably time to tell Dyke that uju was not a second wife since moving to Manhattan Dyke has changed he's no longer transparent and his grades are dropping the school tells uju that dyke is aggressive and needs to go to special ed classes where they are trained to deal with him tells the school he is not aggressive and that they are blaming him just because he looks different part 2 chapter 17 22. in chapter 17 if the Malu decides to stop faking an American accent after taking a telemarketer's comment that she sounds American as a compliment she speaks without the fake accent for the first time when taking a train to Auntie andreju's house while on the train she meets a black American man named Blaine and they spend the trip talking Blaine gives of melu his phone number but he never returns her calls when athemalu arrives at Auntie uju's house Uzu does nothing but complain she is being treated badly because of her race and she says Bartholomew is hardly ever home Dyke seems sad and while he and ifmalu play soccer he tells her that his camp counselor refused to give him sunscreen because the counselor thought he didn't need it because of his dark skin he says he just wants to be regular like everyone else the chapter ends with a blog post about American tribalism ifimalu says in her blog that there are four kinds of tribes in America class ideology religion and race chapter 18 returns to the present day mariama has a new customer who notices a stack of Nigerian magazines and says that Nigerians are known for being criminals IFA Mallu can tell maryamia doesn't like the woman but when the woman complains about abroad mariama graciously redoes the braid themalu believes that providing customer service is part of mariama's New American persona another customer comes in and tries to draw ifamalu into a conversation but she avoids the conversation and thinks about how it was with conversation and thinks about how it was with Kurt that she first saw her new American Self the story again returns to the Past Kimberly introduces Kurt and ifemalu the two begin to date and Kurt tells her he is wealthy and his family has been Hotel years for hundreds of years for hundreds of years Kimberly is happy that the two are dating Kurt tells of Malu she is beautiful and he loves her body sometimes thinks of opens when they are together but she tries not to compare them thimalu is happy with kurd who spoils her with money and attention in chapter 19 ifimalu meets Kurt's mother who is a stereotypically snobbish wealthy woman she compliments ifamalu's eyelashes and if him a loose eyelashes and if Malu thinks she must have tried very hard to find something to compliment femalu's life is going well she is working toward raising her g-pop Kurt buys her gifts purchases her groceries and textbooks and sends her gift certificates for department store he asks her to give up babysitting to spend more time with him but she says no graduation is Drawing Near but ifemalu isn't certain what she wants to do Kurt sets up an interview for her with a company that will help her get a work visa and start the process to get a green car in preparation for the interview if Malu removes her braids and relaxes her hair the chemicals burn her scalp and Kurt is upset that she's done this to herself she does well at the interview and wonders if things would have gone so well at the interview and wonders if things would have gone so well if she'd gone in with her natural hair the chapter concludes with a blog post about how everyone in America aspires to be a wasp but what then do wasps aspire to chapter 20 starts with IFA Mallu living in Baltimore IFA Malu has her own apartment but she spends most of her time at Kurtz she continues to relax her hair and it begins to fall out of the temples wambui convinces her to cut her hair and let it go natural ether Malou cuts her hair very short and hates it she is embarrassed by her hair and calls in sick to work the next day I femalu uses Kurt's laptop to look up information about caring for her hair and finds suggestive emails from a white woman Kurt met at a conference he says nothing has happened and the woman knows he has a girlfriend femalu is hurt and points out that all of his old girlfriends have long flowing hair she leaves Kurt later comes to her apartment and they reconcile femaloo calls in sick for three days due to her hair she begins visiting a website called happily kinky nappy Cole and finds inspiration for learning to like her natural hair one day when she and Kurt are at a farmer's market a black man walks by and quietly asks if she ever wonders why Kurt likes her looking all jungle like that that night she considers buying a straight weave but remembers a post on Happily kinky nappy calm and decides against it she goes home and writes a post on the website's board about the incident and receives many supportive comments she finally falls in love with her hair the chapter ends with a blog post titled why dark skinned black women both American and non-american love Barack Obama in the post she says that black men like their women to be lighter-skinned but Obama married a woman who is not light-skinned so women like him chapter 21 begins on a Sunday morning with a call from Auntie uju complaining about what Dyke wants to wear to church you Jews certain they will be talked about if he doesn't dress properly and she's been telling him to tone it down in school so he doesn't look so different agfi Malou convinces Dyke to wear the shirt his mother has chosen and says she'll bring Kurt to meet him on the weekend Kurt is charming with Auntie uju in a way that makes a familiar think he's performing and she realizes she doesn't like Charming Dyke and Kirk go outside to play basketball and Auntie uju tells ifamelu she can see that Kurt really likes iPhone even with her afro hair female Lou tells uju to leave her hair alone and says that if women with natural hair appeared in magazines and movies ujju would be praising her hair yuju asks if melu if she's read Dyke's essay and says she wonders how he can say he is conflicted and that even his name is difficult ifemalu urges uju to talk to Dyke about how he is feeling uju goes on to say she's tired and that Bartholomew insists she make him dinner every night and is demanding that she give him her salary because he's the head of the family one morning Auntie uju and Bartholomew argue and she calls ifmanalud to tell her that she is leaving him and Dyke are moving to Willow which is near the university uju tells ifumalu Dyke is happy to be leaving and didn't even mention barthalum the blog post at the end of the chapter is about how non-american blacks become black when they come to a America and along with that comes all of the stereotypes and racial issues in chapter 22 ifemalu runs into coyote in a mall coyote tells her obinze asked him to look her up and she feels numb At The Mention Of obin's name coyote tells her obin's name kayode tells her aubin's Ace is in England and she feels betrayed to find out there have been changes to his life that she didn't know about she tells coyote she is with her boyfriend and walks away she tells Kurt she ran into a friend from high school but won't say more he asks if it was an old boyfriend because she seems upset she says not but refuses to explain later that day she sins opens an email apologizing for her silence he does not reply Kurt tells ifmeilu he's booked her a massage she thanks him and tells him he is a sweetheart he responds forcefully that he doesn't want to be a sweetheart he wants to be the love of her life part 3 chapters 23 26 in chapter 23 the focus of the novel shifts to obin's past when he lived in London he is not there legally so he cannot work he meets the angolans and pays them to arrange a marriage for him so that he can get his papers he meets the girl he is to marry cleote a few days later and assures he will make a process as easy as possible for her obin's realizes Claire tilde is attracted to him and he asks her for her phone number the angolans say he should call them obenze gives cleotyl to his number and asks her if she'd like to get together with him so they can get to know each other she says yes the two get together over the next few weeks and practice for the immigration interview cleotilde tells obenze the angolans didn't give her much money but she know opens doesn't have any more money and she wants to do this for him as obinze waits in line at the marriage registration office he thinks about having gone to the American Embassy in layogs to get an American visa the storyline flashes back to how Robin's came to be in England obinsay tries several times to get a visa to go to America and be with ismailu when he cannot his mother puts obins on her visa application so that he can accompany her as her research assistant and then live with his cousin Nicholas once in England obinze takes a job cleaning bathrooms but quits when he walks into a stall to find someone has defecated on a toilet lid he feels like the person who has done this was staging a performance somehow and it makes him feel small that evening he receives the email I familiar sent after seeing coyote Nicholas and his wife ojiyogo have changed a great deal since they lived in Nigeria they are no longer outrageous fun-loving people instead they worry excessively about their children receiving a good education and are careful about only speaking English to them opens a and ogogo have a conversation about accents and obinsay wonders if Nigerians are more forgiving of their children raised in England because they have Foreign Accents chapter 25 talks about what Drew obenze to be friends with imamike when they were in high school emanik was a sharp boy who was eager to be seen as someone who knew things and was of a higher class than he really was he enjoyed reading books so he and obenze became friends who talked about books played Scrabble and exchanged knowledge a Monique moved to England during one of the University strikes obenze calls a miniki when he arrives in England but in minute he puts him off repeatedly saying he is busy with work and travel obin's realizes a mini K has changed and will not help him get Nye number so he can work he calls another friend iloba who has always treated obenze as a Kinsmen iloba puts aubenze in touch with a man named Vincent who agrees to let arbins use his nine number in exchange for 35 percent of his pay in chapter 26 obenze is working at various jobs under the name of Vincent he works a job in a warehouse where Roy Snell an Englishman is his boss Roy treats him kindly and obines fits in well with the other workers he develops a friendship with an Englishman named Nigel who shows him around London one day Nigel and obenze deliver a refrigerator to an elderly disheveled man Nigel refers to the man as a real gent in an odd tone in spite of the fact that the kitchen is dirty and the man looks hung over obenze realizes that Nigel's reaction has to do with the man's accent and that if he had spoken differently 9 Nigel would have complained about not receiving a tip part 3 chapters 27 30. in chapter 27 obenze is in a Bookshop Cafe enjoying his weekly treat of an expensive coffee and reading American fiction and American fiction and American newspapers he avoids the British newspapers because the articles about immigration frighten him a woman and her son come into the Bookshop and sit by him obin's conversation with a woman leaves him thinking about love and ifamelu so he texts a woman tendai that he once met at a party tendai had offered to help him get his papers but he knows she would convince herself they didn't just marry for the papers while on the train on his way to 10 days he sees a woman reading a newspaper article about immigration and wonders if she thinks he's illegal later on a train to Essex he notices the car is filled with Nigerians and it makes him think of the life he had imagined for himself and he suddenly feels very lonely in chapter 28 obinze arrives at the warehouse where he works and everyone is acting strangely toward him he's sure they figured out he is illegal Nigel runs up behind him and shoves a paper hat on his head and wishes him a happy birthday he hadn't even thought to memorize Vincent's birthday the men Gather in the coffee room and celebrate with him that night Vincent calls and demands 45 percent of obin's pay obenze decides to ignore his Demands a week later Roy calls obins into his office and says he received the call telling him obins is illegal and working under someone else's name Roy tells him to bring his passport in obenze leaves the warehouse for the last time wishing he told Roy and Nigel his real name years later obinzi calls Nigel and offers him the job as his general manager in Nigeria chapter 29 returns to the timeline in which obins has met Cleo tilde the angolans call and ask him for more money obins decides to call eminike abinz decides to call eminike and ask him for help and the Nike agrees to help him and asks to meet with obins they meet at a restaurant a manike apologizes for not seeing obien sooner but says he was busy with work and travel he tells open means a many stories about his wonderful life and work the work stories are all about someone underestimating a manike in Him Nike and him coming out on top he finally gives obins an envelope of money and it's double the amount of binds asked for Georgina eminike's wife calls and invites aubensay to join them for dinner during dinner Georgina invites obenze to a party at their home when Obin Zay arrives at their home a little early for the party a minute Kate takes him into the study where there are many pictures of emini posing in front of landmarks around the world obinze believes a mini key had the pictures taken in anticipation of the people who would see them the party guests are all people with important jobs and interesting lives they discuss a charity one guest Alexa is involved in that is trying to keep the UK from hiring so many African health workers she says African doctors should stay in Africa because they owe it to their country another guest says that means that English doctors should take responsibility for the poor towns in the north of England this upsets Alexa during dinner the conversation turns to immigration Georgina says America has its own immigration problems one guest points out that in America immigration comes with race issues because immigrants in America are generally not white dominicki says that in America blacks and whites work together but don't play together and that in England it is just the opposite obenze says he believes class hierarchy is prevalent in England and everyone seems to know their place in England he says a white boy and black girl who have grown up in the same working-class town can get together without race being an issue however in America race would be an issue even if they were of the same class the conversation continues and the guests agree that England should remain open to people fleeing from Wars and in poverty obenze doesn't think they would understand why people like him might want to run from choicelessness chapter 30 begins with Nicholas giving obins a suit for his wedding they arrive at the Civic Center and are met by police the police approach abbins and tell him his passport is expired they handcuff him and take him away when a lawyer arrives to speak with obins he tells obins the government has a strong case obenze says he is willing to return to Nigeria he feels inhuman like a thing to be removed while in detention waiting to be deported obins hears other men talking about how they have been deported before and will try again obin's mother calls him and says she will meet him in Lagos obenze is then transferred to a cell in Dover where the conditions are worse the cell is small and cold and he is only allowed outside to exercise and eat he becomes depressed and unable to eat when he finally arrives in Lagos an immigration officer demands money from him and opens he gives him what is in his pocket obenza's mother is waiting outside part 4 chapters 30 1 35 chapter 31 shifts back to ifamalu's past she is just broken up with Kurt after having cheated on him with a man who lives in her apartment complex she tells jinika the relationship just didn'tica the relationship just didn't feel right fimalu tries to reconcile with Kurt but he will not talk to her she finally accepts the end of the relationship and thinks there must be something wrong with her she feels like she doesn't completely know herself years later when she is dating Blaine she attends a dinner party with him one Haitian woman says she once dated a white man and race was never an issue I femalu tells the woman that is not true and that she only said it because she wishes it were true femalu says that race doesn't matter when two people who love each other are alone but as soon as they are with other people it does matter they don't tell their white Partners how they really feel about certain issues family goes on to recount stories of her relationship with Kurt in which he sometimes overreacted to perceived racism and at other times didn't see actual racism as it was occurring the chapter ends with a blog post titled A Michelle Obama shout out plus hair as a race metaphor the post talks about how a girlfriend of hers thought Michelle Obama's hair grew in straight the way she wears it femalu goes on to write about how the before and after pictures of black women in makeovers always show natural hair in the before pictures and straighten hair in the after pictures she writes that if Michelle Obama were to appear on television with her natural hair Obama would probably lose the independent vote in chapter 32 anti-uju tells iif Malu she has joined African doctors for Africa and met a man named kwaki who is also a doctor she says he treats her like a princess and reminds her that Kurt treated her that way too koikyu also treats Dyke well which makes ifmalulu like him when a femalu tells Dyke she has broke up with Kurt he asks her if she'll be okay and brings her a tray with a banana and a can of peanuts on it femalu talks to her parents on the phone and they plan a visit to America when they arrive they feel like strangers to her after they leave America I familud America if lies on her bed and cries uncontrollably a short time later she resigns from her job chapter 33 Begins by talking about how if malu's Blog has grown she has gained many readers and is receiving donations from people who want to support the blog she is also being paid to advertise on her blog she is immersed in the blog and checks her email often and eagerly IFA Mallu also begins being invited to speak at diversity conferences after her first diversity conference where she speaks honestly and in the way she does on her blog she is called a racist and realizes that the people who read her blog are not the people who attend the conferences she comes to the conclusion that the objective of a diversity conference is to leave the audience feeling good about themselves eventually ifemalu feels consumed by her blog and speaking engagements she has become known simply as the Blogger and feels like she's become the blog itself in chapter 34 if the Malu is attending a blogging conference where she runs in the blame the man she met years earlier on the train he remembers her and they begin to email and call one another he visits her in Baltimore and the two quickly become lovers at the end of his visit Ivy Malou returns to New Haven with him she learns that he eats only organic food exercises daily and seems carefully disciplined he even eats food he doesn't like just because it is good for him Blaine's best friend araminta comes for a visit she she was one of the only other black students in Blaine's high school she tells iPhone she is glad that our family isn't an academic like Blaine's other friends and warns her not to take Cheyenne Blaine's sister too seriously femalu moves in with Blaine after a year of dating he shows interest in her blog and she's pleased at first but then he tells her she needs to add more depth and that she has a responsibility since people read her blog as cultural commentary blame makes ifmeilu feel like he is always trying to teach her something and is disappointed that she hasn't learned enough one day Blaine and I themalu are at a grocery store and an older white woman tells of melu her hair is beautiful a family lets the woman sink her hands into her afro and Blaine is a Paul he asks how ify Malu could let someone do that and I've melu asks him how else the woman will know what hair like hers feels like the chapter ends with a blog post about who racists are if femalu posits that Americans think racism exists but racists are all gone in chapter 35 Sean calls Blaine to tell him she's in New York for the publishing of her first book Blaine asks ifamelud to go with him to visit her iPhone says she will and asks what Sean does Blaine tells her that Sean has done many things and had lots of experiences he concludes that Sean is a really special person when I femalu meets Sean she notes that it seems like all of the air in the room leaves when Sean enters she commands attention but barely acknowledges of namelu however when Sean finally introduces herself ifemalu can't help feeling drawn to her Sean receives a call from a French man and ignores the call she tells Blaine that the caller is a rich French man who wants to date her she says that it's nice that in Europe men look at black women as women and not black but says she still doesn't want to date a white man Blaine nods in agreement but ifemalu knows that if anyone else had said these things he'd have analyzed their words and disagreed Sean goes on to say that white men in America don't want to date black women femalu disagrees and says she gets more attention from white men Sean dismisses her by saying that's just because she's from Africa a female who resents that Blaine agrees with Sean so readily nonetheless she wants Sean to like her and invites her to be a guest blogger the chapter closes with a blog post titled Obama can win only if he remains the magic negro the post focuses on Obama's pastor and says that Obama can win only if he remains the wise kind black men who never gets angry and forgives racism part 4 chapters 36 41 in chapter 36 Blaine and if Malo are at a surprise birthday party for a friend of Blaine's although I've Emma Lou and Blaine have been together for over a year a female who still doesn't feel like she belongs with Blaine's friends Blaine's friends are academics and if Malu tells Blaine they aren't intellectuals because they aren't curious instead they develop specialized knowledge and are stuck there Blaine is defensive at first but later his tone changes when he talks to IFA Malu about his friends as though he can tell she's not comfortable with them during the party Blaine's ex-girlfriend Paula reads ifamalu's blog post titled friendly tips for the American non-black how to react to an American black talking about Blackness the post talks about how Americans were not black shouldn't try to make their lives sound worse when an American black is talking about an experience she goes on to say that American blacks don't want things to be about race so when they something is about race it probably is the party guests watch Obama announce his candidacy for president ether Malu is asked what she thinks of Obama and she says she likes Hillary Clinton the chapter ends with a Blog titled traveling while black the blog talks about the book A friend is writing about his experiences traveling the world as an American black chapter 37 starts with if Malu reflecting on how it seems Dyke has changed so quickly become a tall young man who plays basketball at his high school has a blonde girlfriend and hangs out with a group of friends he notices that when Dyke is with his friends he is a different person who is full of swagger Sean has a party she calls a salon and it's the first one ifemma Lou has been to so she is nervous Sean tells everyone about her book and says it is a memoir about growing up the only black kid in her prep school as well as other things that happened as she was growing up her editor has asked her to make changes to the book so that it transcends race Sean says that black people can't write honestly about race in America she also dismissively says that if maluk can get away with writing her blog because she's African and therefore writing from the outside I feel Malu is disappointed in herself for agreeing with Sean the blog post at the end of this chapter is about the way people refer to Obama as B ratio because his mother was white she wonders if Obama can really ever be anything but black because race is about how you look not about your blood chapter 38 Begins by talking about bobakar Etha malu's friend who is a Senegalese professor at Yale she finds him intelligent and Charming but Blaine doesn't like him Boba car tells ifemalu about a fellowship at Princeton and encourages her to apply femalu is invited to a luncheon for a professor leaving on sabbatical and she he accepts the invitation Blaine sends if melu a text asking if she's heard about Mr White the security guard at the library when a female Lou and blame me he tells her that Mr White a black man was arrested on suspicion of drug dealing when he met a friend outside of the library to lend the man his car the man gave Mr White some money he owed him and a library employee who saw the exchange assumed they were dealing drugs Blaine says that Mr White is fine and has returned to work but thinks it's sad that Mr White seems to expect things like this to happen Blaine organizes a protest about Mr White's arrest and assumes Iceman Lulu will be there if emilu goes to the luncheon she was invited to instead and Blaine becomes angry he tells her she can't just write her blog like it's a game she has to live it femaloo apologizes but when Blaine refuses to talk to her for three days she packs a bag and goes to Auntie U Jews at the start of chapter 39 ifemalu is at anti-u juice and is eating non-organic chocolate uju tells her that dyke has been accused of hacking the school's computer system but Dyke couldn't have done it because he's not even good with computers Dyke says he's being accused because he's black he later tells ifmeludo that other kids sometimes ask him for weed and say what's up bro to him which he thinks is ridiculous after nine days Blaine finally agrees to see if Malu they cook coconut rice together and he is still cold and distant but a femaloo wraps her arms around him anyway the chapter ends with a blog post explaining the meaning of tribalism diversity and culture in America as chapter 40 be against ifimalu and Blaine are back together but her feelings for him have changed although she still admires him there is no passion left in the relationship they one thing that unites them is their agreement on Barack Obama whom ifemalu changed her mind about after reading Obama's book themalu receives an email from Princeton offering her the research Fellowship she tells Blaine she won't move until after the election blame volunteers for Obama's campaign and tells her about an old black woman he met who told him she didn't think a black man would be president even in her grandchild's lifetime fimalu writes a Blog about the woman when Obama becomes the nominee for the Democratic party Blaine and ifamelu make love for the first time in weeks blame becomes depressed after Obama delivers a speech on race in response to negative comments made by his Pastor Blaine is disheartened by the speech because it seems like it's meant to close the discussion on Race not open it but Obama had to do so to be elected a call from Sean's boyfriend a video helps break Blaine out of his depressed state a video says Sean has had a nervous breakdown if the Malu feels angry at Sean because it seems like she is just attention seeking about a month before this if the Malou had seen Sean and Sean had said she knew that Blaine and if melu would get back together after their argument but she said it in a way that made it clear she didn't think I've made Liu was right for blame when a female Liu had tried to change the subject by talking about Obama Sean had turned the conversation back to herself and book a family wish Sean would realize everything wasn't about her when Obama is elected ifemalu receives a text from Dyke that says I can't believe it My President is Black like me chapter 41 returns to the present day with ethi Malu in the braiding shop FM Liu is starting to be bothered by the stuffy shabby shop and wonders why these African women can't keep the shop clean and ventilated then her attitude changes and she feels a connection with Aisha when Aisha tells her that she couldn't even go to her father's funeral because she didn't have her papers ifemalu tries to comfort Aisha and tells her she'll go to visit Aisha's boyfriend at his work to talk to him about marrying Aisha when I femalu's hair is finished she leaves while she's on the train Auntie aju calls and tells her Dyke has tried to to commit suicide female who tells uju she'll be there the next day part 5 chapter 42 and part 6 chapter 43 chapter 42 is set in the present time with obiense eagerly waiting for iif malu's return to Nigeria it's been an unusually long time between her emails and obin's worries that she may have changed her mind since they've re-established communication obenze has written ifamelu many emails detailing his life including the death of his mother ephemalu had replied quickly to the email about his mother and said she had sometimes wished obin's mother were her own ifemalu had asked for his phone number but hadn't called obins had been certain she still had feelings for him since she'd felt so strongly about his mother obin's last email had expressed his feelings for fmelu but he regretted it after sending it it if emilu finally emails back and explains that dyke tried to commit suicide and she is postponing her return to Nigeria opens a immediately considers flying to America to be with her but knows he cannot Cosi and obenze visit a potential school for Buchi obin's mind wanders to ifemalu but cozy thinks he is thinking about work obenze reads all of if malu's archive blog posts and feels a sense of loss because he feels like he's missed so much of if may lose life in chapter 43 if emalu is staying with Dyke after his suicide attempt stays close by him but they don't discuss the attempt she feels a sense of blame toward Auntie yuju she believes aju brushed off Dyke's attempts to identify as black she tells Auntie uju she shouldn't have done that she says uju spent too much time telling Dyke who he isn't but never told him about who he is Jew says she only did that because she didn't want him to act like the other kids and says the attempt was because of depression femalu says the depressions caused by the situation when Dyke is doing better IFA Malu takes him to Miami for his birthday they spend a few days in a hotel ordering burgers and lounging by the pool finally Dyke tells iPhone she should go to Nigeria now he will be all right she says he should come and visit her there he thinks for a moment and then says yes part 7 chapters 44 48 in chapter 44 ethema Lou returns to Lagos Nigeria she is struck by how dirty and run down it is and how rude the people are ryanuto teases her about being an Americana and says that if she at least spoke with an American accent they could see at least spoke with an American accent they could forgive her for complaining Rani Nudo is dating a married executive named Don who helps her pay for an apartment she tells of meilu she's been asking Don to buy her a Jeep for some time now when rainy Nudo turns off the generator for the night a femala complains about the heat and humidity at the beginning of chapter 45 ivanimalu is looking for a job she applies for a job at a women's magazine called Zoe when she meets the owner of the magazine the woman insists her employees call her auntie on you Auntie wenyu hires ismailu and invites her to her home to talk IFA Mallu thinks this is unprofessional but goes because she realizes things are different in Nigeria and the line between personal and Prof professional is often blurred she immediately begins to talk business with Auntie wenyu and comments that a house pictured in the magazine is ugly Auntie when you disagrees and points out the size of the generator themalu is surprised she didn't notice the size of the generator because a Nigerian would notice that as IFI Malu goes about the business of setting up her life in Nigeria she frequently thinks she spots opens in the crowd but it's never him she still has not told him she is back if the Malu rents an apartment with a view of a beautiful Old Colonial house that has fallen into disrepair the estate agent tells her an army officer once lived there when a themalu tells Rani Nudo about her apartment rainy noodle says she should have contacted obins for help because he would have given her a deal or maybe even a free apartment chapter 46 tells about IFA mallu's visits to her parents on the weekends neighbors and relatives come to greet her and her mother says they are just coming in hopes if Malo will give them something themalu's parents talk about their visit to America and she hopes they won't bring up blame because she has lied and told them work has delayed his visit to Nigeria she also uses Blaine as a way of deflecting her old friend's talk of marriage femalu spends time with her old friends tochi and prai tochi has changed a great deal and speaks in a defensive tone she is critical of America fimalu can see Toki as unhappy so she only talks about the parts of America she did not like and is relieved when the tochi leaves pry is the same except that she's become harder and more glamorous she is a wedding planner and believes that women shouldn't marry for love but should marry men that can take care of them in chapter 47 ifemalu begins her job at Zoe magazine she meets her co-workers Esther who is the receptionist and Doris and zamayi who are editors like ifemalu Esther is ingratiating and constantly invites people to her church at first if melaloo is uncomfortable with her ingratiating ways because Esther is older than her but then she realizes it has to do with status and not age so she goes along with it Doris has a foreign degree like ifemalu and she makes certain Ivy Malu knows they are on the same level she tells eiffelou that I feel Malu that ifemalu will share an office with zamaye and makes a disparaging remark about zumay when a female meets zemaye zamayi immediately says she hopes if milou doesn't mind cold rooms because Doris keeps the air conditioner set to high Dora snaps that the humidity is too high Dora snaps that the humidity is too high in Nigeria and she couldn't breathe when she returned the two continue to argue about the air conditioner Doris invites ifem melu to attend the meeting of the naturopolitan club a group of people who have returned learned from living abroad zamaya calls it the bin to group and says she can't go because she's never been abroad when Doris leaves the office zamaya asks if memolu about her blog and about Blaine if emalu is surprised that Auntie wenyu has shared details of her private live with the other employees in chapter 48 ifemalu invited Rani Nudo to go to the Nidra politan club meeting with her Ronnie Nudo declines because she's going out with a man named Duty whom she likes but isn't sure is serious about her she asks if melulu to lie if Don asks because she told him she'd be out with if melu rainy Nudo hopes Don will buy her a Jeep before she breaks up with him femalu goes to the Niger politan club meeting she talks to some women who also have natural hair about Nigerian salons and how they all want them to use relaxers the conversation has a self-righteous heir to it she she also meets a man named Fred who had lived in Boston other people joined the conversation and they all talk about things they had in America that they don't have now femalu hears someone talk about a new restaurant that has the kinds of things they can eat and becomes uncomfortable with the conversation when Fred says he doesn't like Nollywood a family says she does just because she feels the need to be contract part 7 chapters 49 55 as chapter 49 begins if Malu is feeling more at home in Nigeria she is spending more time with friends but hasn't seen obins yet she thinks she needs to lose weight before she sees him but hasn't really been trying to lose weight she isn't happy with her job at Zoe because she feels stifled she thinks about starting a new blog and perhaps starting her own magazine someday she she spends much of her work Time interview Society women and attending events neither of which she finds interesting one day in a meeting Auntie wenyu Praises Doris for a story about marriage but admonishes iPhone Malou for including a detail about a society woman that Auntie won you deems judgmental Auntie wenyu leaves the meeting when her daughter arrives and ivmelu takes a call from Rani Nudo during which rainy Nudo complains about Don Esther enters the room and Doris asks if she's feeling better Doris had sent Esther to a clinic to get medicine she's been given an antibiotic but the label has only handwritten instructions and not the name of the drug fimalu says they should write about this because improperly labeled medication is dangerous zamayi agrees Doris says they aren't doing investigative journalism tremolu begins to think about her blog in Earnest and plans to write about important things instead of the vapid stories she writes for Zoe ifemalu decides to call her Blog the small redemptions of Lagos she plans to use a picture of the colonial house she can see from her apartment for the blog header Ethan Malou tells Doris and zamaye that it doesn't make sense to running stories about Society women Doris tells her the society women pay Auntie wenu pay Auntie wenyu to run the stories which shocks a family she and Doris argue and if Melo leaves the office wondering if now would be a good time to quit her job and start her blob at the beginning of chapter 50 I see Malu invites Dyke to visit when he arrives in Lagos he is excited to see that he is surrounded by black people he has arrived one day after ifemalu began her new blog and one week after she quit her job themalu writes blog posts including one about the Niger politan club and the arrogance of people who returned to Nigeria when she writes a post about women who live expensive Lifestyles they cannot afford on their own rainy Nudo is upset because she's sure people will know it's her that isimalu is writing about she says if melu is being judgmental and reminds her that she lived with a rich white man in America Ivan Malou takes the post down Rani Nudo suggests ifem melu is emotionally frustrated and urges her to see obenzi Dyke moderates the blog comment while he is in Lagos but sometimes has trouble with the Nigerian expressions and tells iPhone he wishes he spoke Igbo she says he can still learn when he asks her about his father ifem Malu tells him the general loved him and his mother loved the general she takes him to see the house at Dolphin estate which is now run down Dyke tells iPhone he likes Nigeria and she almost asks him to stay the next day she takes him to the airport in chapter 51 ethereumalu goes to the bank and again thinks she sees obins she returns to her car and calls obins she tells him she is in Nigeria and he asks if he can come to see her now she says she is on her way to buy a book at jazz Hall he meets here there the two talk for a long time they talk about what each thinks has changed about Nigeria since they were young obenze says many of his friends have become fat ifimalu says she's gotten fat too but obin's tells her the added weight looks good on her femalu asks obins what has changed for him since he became wealthy he says the biggest change is in the way people treat him they suck up to him as though he expects it obenzi says he sometimes feels nostalgic for his old lifestyle but knows he wouldn't really want to return to it or beansley mentions that I feel malyu doesn't have an American accent she says she made an effort not to have one he tells her he read her old blog posts and it didn't sound like her Obin says she's become more self aware now and that her blog made him proud they part ways and obins texts if mainly Lou asking her to meet him for lunch the next day the next day I feel Malu and obinze meet at her apartment she points out the Old Colonial House to him and tells him there are often peacocks on the roof she tells him it's the picture she has on her new blog obenze tells her that she needs investors for her blog and she becomes defensive and says she doesn't want his money obinzi soothes her and draws her attention to the peacocks that have flown up to the roof obenze asks what happened in America that made her stop contacting him she tells him and he holds her hand as she cries she feels safe in chapter 52 obinze and ifemalu continue to meet often on one day ifemalu asks if obin's a has condoms in his pocket the conversation devolves into an argument about obins having to return home to his wife every night he tells her their relationship doesn't feel like cheating to him and leaves he returns a few minutes later and apologizes he tells her that he didn't like the way she'd made their relationship sound common and that what they have isn't about sex they make love and obins leaves after she falls asleep she wakes up to her phone ringing and it's obin's asking if he can come see her again in chapter 53 ethema Lou is giddy about her relationship with obency and looks forward to each new day obenze is careful to give his time with iPhone as much dignity as possible however one day as obenzie is cooking for a family he mentions that he never gets to cook with coxy the mention of his wife upsets of maimalu he tells her he feels a responsibility for COSI but that is all obenze invites ifamelu to go on a business trip with him and she agrees he later texts her and says he's changed his mind and that he needs to go alone so he can think or beans comes to her apartment and tells if Malu he feels like things are going to fast and again tells her he has responsibilities fimolu asks him what that means and obenze remains silent at the start of chapter 54 obinze is on his business trip alone he fluctuates between thinking he's done the right thing by leaving behind and wishing she were there when he completes his business meeting he tries to call if melu many times but she doesn't answer he fleetingly imagines she's with another man and feels queasy when it's time for him to fly back to Lagos he briefly considers buying a ticket to somewhere else but knows he will do what is expected of him as he gets on the plane cozy calls him to remind him they are taking Nigel out for his birthday after he hangs up with Cosi he thinks about how he and his wife never wanted the same things in life he realizes he married Cosi at a time when he was newly rich and vulnerable to her beauty and the things he was supposed to want at Nigel's birthday party obenze is irritable and quibbles with Nigel over a floor plan obinze apologizes and he and kosi go home that night Cosi cuddles up to him and offers sex opens a declines and thinks that he should tell Cosi he is in love with ifemalu the next morning obenze feels as though he hasn't rested he goes about his duties as a husband and father but feels sad the whole time finally he tells kosi he isn't happy and is in love with someone else KUSI Falls to her knees and begs him not to leave his family obinsay learns that Cosi has known about his affair all along which makes obins angry that she could know and pretend she didn't he feels a sense of panic at the thought of remaining married and not being with if Malu the next day Cosi still expects obins to attend a christening with her he goes and as he wants Buchi he hates the though of leaving her obin's friends notice he is quiet but obinza says he's just tired as obenze is leaving the party his friend okuadeba asks if there is something wrong obinze tells him he wants to marry a femalu okudiba tells him he shouldn't leave a wife he has no problem with just to be with other woman in chapter 55 ifem Malu finally sees the male peacock dance but the female peacock just walks away she has been avoiding obins Rani Nudo encourages her to date other men femalu continues to write her blog and the pain of not having obins never goes away but she is at peace because she is at home and has her block femalu calls Blaine to say hello and tell him that she always felt like he was too good for her the call feels stiff but he does say he is glad she called then she calls Kurt who is happy to hear from her they speak on the phone a few more times after that and he talks about visiting but never does one might Ethan Malou runs into Fred and they have drinks they see each other a few more times and eventually sleep together but a family doesn't feel about him the way she wants to then seven months since the last time ifemalu saw obins he shows up at her door obedience tells her he wants to be with her and will continue chasing her until she gives him a chance she invites him in