The author's 2016 debut novel "Behold the Dreamers" centers on race, class and the pursuit of the American dream.
CANTON In September of 1998, Imbolo Mbue arrived in the United States from West Africa carrying a belief that life here was like an American sitcom.
Mbue’s 2016 debut novel centers on race, class and the pursuit of the American dream by an African immigrant couple and the wealthy family they work for, set against the real-life 2008 financial crisis.
A New York Times bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club selection, it has been translated into 12 languages and recently was optioned to be made into a feature film.
On Thursday night, more than 500 people turned out to the Palace Theatre to hear Mbue share her experiences as an immigrant and author. The program was part of the Stark County District Library’s Dr. Audrey Lavin Speaking of Books Author Series.
Mbue is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds a master’s degree in education from Columbia University.
Americans’ misconceptions about Africa, Mbue said, were similar.
The first ride from the airport offered another shock.
After graduation, Mbue labored as a dish washer, bank teller, deli worker, preschool secretary, store clerk and door-to-door vacuum cleaner saleswoman.
“It’s as bad as it sounds,” she said to laughter.
Mbue said she was inspired to start writing for herself after reading Toni Morrison’s novel, “Song of Solomon.” With plans to become an academic, she was working full-time in New York City at a media company when she suddenly lost her job on the heels of turning down a doctorate program.
She researched the book by talking to wealthy whites and immigrants about their lives, and studying documents detailing the collapse of Lehman Brothers Bank.