I started listening to Americanah on the commute to Sewing Camp. Written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and clocking in at just under 17 and a half hours, I figured I’d speed it up to 1.25 like I usually do for my audio books and cut the listening time down a bit.

That lasted for less than a few paragraphs of the first chapter. The story has a wide cast of characters across multiple countries on three continents, and jumps back and forth between time periods and writing styles. I’m not sure how I would have done with this book if I’d read the paper version. As it was, I was forced to slow down to regular speed just to keep up with the plot.

It took me just shy of a month to finish listening to it.

When I saw the names of the protagonists when I took a screen shot of the title, I was surprised at the spelling. I don’t know what pronunciation I would have mentally chosen for the names if I’d read it on my own, but it probably wouldn’t have been right.

The book describes people with blistering detachment and honesty, the kind of detachment you expect from someone who holds everyone at arm’s length. I wondered how much of it was borne of writing style, how much was a way of letting the reader get to know the protagonist, as the story is mostly told from her point of view, and how much of it was coming the way the author sees the world.

I usually shy away from giving away much about the plot, but I will say that the ending of the book tasted a bit like sawdust. I won’t spoil it further by explaining more. The perspectives on race and the keen eye the book took toward describing life in Nigeria (which is in many ways similar to my experience in the Caribbean), and the human condition in general, allowed me to forgive the book its ending.

I mentioned this in my Sewing Camp post, but the narrator of the audio book was phenomenal. With remarkable consistency, she kept up different voices and accents for the characters. She made it so much easier to keep track of the cast, which was probably as large as in any book I’ve read.

I especially appreciate books that expose me to new worlds, and this book definitely did that. I loved the window into other ways of life. There are so many cultures explored in the book. We are allowed to peek through the window at American Blacks, American whites, Nigerians living in the U.S., and different economic classes of Nigerians living in Nigeria, as well as Nigerians who have lived abroad and their experience when they move back home. Each of these stories is braided seamlessly  and it all belongs to the greater story.

If you are the type of person that enjoys people watching, and are fascinated by what makes people tick, what makes them human, you’ll probably enjoy this book. It is people watching at its best – the author tells us what we need to know about each character and justifies them the way they would themselves. The book explores the many ways we mold ourselves to fit in with others, even when we want desperately to be more genuine. It gives us a chance to take a mile in another’s shoes, with compassion for the way they are and for their journey.