Adiche’s prose is deft and beautiful. She is a writer in a league of her own, but read this article to see if you want to read the book

https://www.vox.com/22537261/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-transphobia-cancel-culture-jk-rowling-akwaeke-emezi-olutimehin-adegbeye

MacArthur Fellow Adichie returns with her first novel in twelve years which was just named to the Women’s Prize for Fiction long list. Dream Count tells the story of four women — a freelance travel writer, a lawyer, a hotel maid, and sex advice writer — during the early stages of the COVID pandemic. The novel opens with Chiamaka, alone in her home in Maryland, where the “formless days led into one another and I had the sensation of time turning inward.” Chia, whose beauty is commented on by strangers and whose fledgling career is supported by her wealthy Nigerian family, is forty-four years old, without a husband or a child, “a calamity more confounding because it was not for the lack of suitors.” During lockdown, “an unknown waiting for an unknown end,” Chia reflects on her various relationships with men: the boy with whom she shared a first kiss at seventeen who died in a car accident; the uncomplicated Chuka, a “breathing paean to loyalty,” whose proposal Chia rejected because “I could no longer ignore that exquisite ache of wanting to love a lovely person that you do not love;” and Darnell, the “Denzel Washington of academia,” with whom Chia “never felt at home, never felt sure, was never made to feel that she could one day be less unsure.”

Adichie next turns to Chia’s best friend, Zikora, an ambitious lawyer in Washington, D.C., who sobs to Chia because she had thought that she would be married with a child at her age. When her section opens, Zikora is giving birth, but we are told that Zikora is burdened with the surfeit of the trait that women are blessed with — the ability to tolerate nonsense from men — and she refers to several of the men she had dated as “thieves of time.” Zikora is relieved when she meets Kwame, who is attentive and free of restlessness, and said “I love you” before Zikora did. But Kwame, too, is disappointing.

We then learn the background of Chia’s Guinean Muslim housekeeper, Kadiatou, the protagonist of the third section of the novel and moral center of the book. Adichie vividly and sympathetically narrates Kadiatou’s story, from a harrowing scene of female genital mutilation to an arranged marriage to a much older mineworker whose alcoholism Kadiatou assumed was the reason for her miscarriages and stillborn child, and an internationally publicized rape case. In a postscript, Adichie writes that she based Kadiatou on the real-life Nafissatou Diallo, the hotel worker who accused IMF head and French presidential hopeful Dominique Strauss Kahn of sexual assault in 2011.

Lastly, and in the least successful section, we visit Chia’s cousin, the formidable Omelogor, who gets off the corporate ladder and attends graduate school where it seems to her friends that she is leached of her light. We follow Omelogor as she quits her job as a corrupt banker (she steals money from wealthy clients to provide microloans to female entrepreneurs) to a graduate student and anti-porn feminist.

This novel lacks the social heft of Adichie’s epic Half of a Yellow Sun, and her lighter, Americanah,. The story seems to be a bit of a regressive take on gender relations where marriage was a time bound dream for many women. Nevertheless, Adichie is such a fine storyteller that the reader gets caught up in these fully realized characters — their desires, their ambitions, and their regrets — and Adichie’s exploration of female friendship, parental relationships and heterosexual intimacy. Thank you Knopf and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this remarkable writer’s latest novel.

This was the first novel that I have read by this author.
I read a short story that she wrote and enjoyed it but to me this 416 page novel felt like 1200 pages.
It’s about three middle age Nigerian women during the covid pandemic who ponder their lives up until then, mostly their experiences with various romantic relationships..their lives have not panned out as far as marriage and motherhood goes..
This has criss crossing story lines, not much of it of interest to me.
This novel has a starred review from Kirkus and some really positive reviews here on Goodreads.. but I wish I had just dnf’d it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the gifted copy!

In her latest novel, Dream Count, Chimamanda Nqozi Adichie tells the stories of four women, each with her own dreams, her own strengths and weaknesses. Overall, it is the story of friends, of cousins, of mothers and daughters, of employers and employees, of successes and deep losses, of lovers and failed relationships, of the pressure put on women to marry and have children.

Adichie divides the book into five sections, the first and last focusing on Chiamaka, a Nigerian woman living in the U.S., a would-be novelist turned freelance travel writer, whose Nigerian father funds her world travels and affluent lifestyle. Between those sections, readers encounter the stories of Chiamaka’s best Nigerian friend Zikora, whose section opens while she is in labor in a Nigerian hospital; Chimaka’s Guinean housekeeper Kadiatou, who also works as a hotel maid; and Chiamaka’s wealthy, abrasive investment banker cousin Omelogar, who has made herself indispensable to the big boss she calls only CEO. Each of the women’s sections overlap, all four characters appearing in each section, while each women is fleshed out in her own section or sections.

The time setting is the Covid-19 pandemic although many of the events have occurred in the past and are recalled as memories, and as memory works, they do not all appear in chronological order. Yet these memories take on such a life of their own that readers sometimes need to be reminded of the pandemic.

Although each of these women has her own interesting story, Kadiatou’s eventually grabbed me the most, perhaps because, as Adichie explains in her notes at the back of the novel, the housekeeper’s story was inspired by newspaper accounts of a Guinean hotel maid caught up in a widely-publicized scandal that became a social justice issue. Giving Chiamaka (“Chia”) the first and last sections, Adichie uses her to tie everything together.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advance reader egalley of this excellent addition to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s work.

Dream Count is Adichie's first fiction book published in a decade, and needless to say, the book community is elated. I had been eagerly awaiting to read this book for so long, and the best thing was that it was exactly as beautiful as I thought it would be. Adichie is a proficient writer, and her prose is readably profound, flowing smoothly through digressions, and the emotional core of this story engrossed me thoroughly.

This story is about four women: Chiamaka, Zikora, Kadiatou, and Omelogor, who are unlikely friends in many ways, and the way they navigate the disconnect between their expectations from life and their realities. Each character is carved out meticulously by Adichie, their interconnected stories explored from different perspectives, their thoughts realistic and discrete. Every time I believed to had understood a character, Adichie revealed another layer, and I grappled with how to feel about them. I ended this book with a lot of thoughts, a lot of feelings, and a lot of respect for Adichie's raw talent for writing.

Reminiscence and yearning lie at the core of this book. All of the women are in their early to older forties, looking back on their lives, and pondering what they could have done differently. Very little in the name of plot appears, and when it does, it is visceral and poignant, beyond infuriating. For a book that is so feminist and that centers women and their lives, it revolves quite a bit around men. Then again, it makes sense in the context of the meaning behind the name of this book. The central question that runs through this novel is What is it to be truly known?

Adichie writes in her author's note, Novels are never really about what they are about, as she reveals what really led her to write this narrative, and end it as she did. So much is packed and explored in this novel—race, belonging, class issues, societal norms, immigration, sexism, corruption, morality, and choice. The characters, with all their differences, embody different belief systems that clash sometimes, and turning the lens upon them through each other's gazes as well as tertiary characters is an innovative written analysis of coexistence.

I'm not even sure who to recommend this to. The writing gets ornate to the point of flowery, the setting seems more haphazard than intentional, and you don't really get a resolution or tension in the story so much as endless introspection. I fell in love with the book, so I'd still herald this as an absolute work of art, and I'd say pick this up if you want a story with a deep emotive core, truly realistic (unlikable) characters, and masterful writing.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m so glad to see a new book from Adichie. This was well written, on the sentence level, and contained interesting stories. I’m just not sure of its intention. It felt kind of all over the place, unfocused (though I could follow the storyline just fine).

It starts with a lonely writer during quarantine, thinking back on her relationships. Then jumps to those of friends of hers, for a long while, then back to her, and I’m not sure why. I can identify themes, but that’s the extent of my understanding of what she was trying to do with this narrative. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Loved this storyline from women's perspective. I bought a physical copy for my bookshelf. This was a new to me author.

I've never been disappointed by a work by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dream Count might be my favorite so far. 

Four interconnected women with four vastly different stories. Instead of having the point of view rotate on a regular, chapter basis, the book is broken up into five parts with each part focusing on one of the characters (then circling back to the first character). I really enjoyed this formatting as all of the characters still remained throughout the story since they're all friends and/or related but it allowed a deeper focus. 
Additionally, I enjoyed the open-ended quality of each section. There wasn't one big plot conclusion for each of the characters at the end, but instead the sections end on a pause. The stories continue even if the focus didn't. 

I enjoyed each of the women immensely, despite how different they all were to each other. Adichie's unparalleled prose greatly assisted with connecting me to them. I'm not just reading their stories, but living them through her prose. Each of their choices felt so important and their stories made me reflect on the nature of happiness. I know this book and these characters will stay with me.

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is her first fiction release. I have waited for this release with great anticipation because Adichie has always been an author that I have read previous works and come to love and enjoy. This book did not disappoint it was everything that I hoped it would be. Adichie was able to pull readers in with her prowess as a prolific writer.
This book centers around four women-Chiamaka, Zikora, Kadiatou, and Omelogor—unlikely friends in many ways, each navigating the complicated tension between their life expectations and the realities they face. These women are in their forties, reflecting on their lives with a sense of yearning and remorse. The novel explores themes of reminiscence, regret, and self-discovery, as each character examines their choices and
their lives through their relationships with one another and the world. I completely fell in love with each character because they brought individual complexity to the story. Each character adding value and insight to the storyline. Each woman's personal struggles feel real and relatable, even as their paths diverge in unexpected ways.
Dream Count is a profound, thought-provoking work that showcases Adichie's raw talent for capturing the human experience. It is a book that will leave you with many thoughts, feelings, and perhaps even more questions than answers. For those who appreciate complex character studies and nuanced explorations of identity, this novel is a must-read. However, for those seeking plot-driven stories or clear-cut resolutions, it may be less satisfying.
The story was medium pace and I was able to flow through the book aimlessly. 5 star rating and I do recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Recommended: if you're up for it
For something very high-minded and slow and unclear and meandering, for something with little to no plot focus and only as a foil to the character's portrayals

Thoughts:
Oh, no. I really wish I had a nicer way to start, but my God, I was so bored with this!! It's not told as a story, really, more like four separate deep character dives with... No real point? Reading about Chiamaka's litany of failed lovers was a dreadful start and I guess it got better but only barely from there. This whole read felt, in a word, tedious.

I also think I am not the intended audience right now. I am mentally spent and having a hard time engaging deeply with things as I'm worn out just by existing. This author is such a revered one that surely, I must be the one in the wrong if I'm coming out of this book bored and unimpressed? So anyway, that's where I was at.

Everything felt distant despite how intimately their experiences were presented. Like seeing from someone else's eyes, but framed by a television screen, so I always knew it was separate. The things one of them cares about disappears entirely when we move to the next person. Which by the way, they each get a giant block of book dedicated solely to them, rather than alternating views. Turns out I don't enjoy that is it made it feel much less intertwined. They would briefly feature in each other's sections, but definitely as a backseat and often contradictory to the portrayals we had had in the others' perspectives of themselves. I suppose that's expected as how you view yourself and how others view you will often differ, but once again it just felt isolating to me.

So what was in this book? Well... lots of talk about relationships and men. Shockingly quite a slog to read. Some touches on motherhood and expectations on women, especially through different cultures and social statuses. Musings on power imbalance, some more blatant than others. But in the end, I don't really feel like any statement was made, stance given, or thoughts presented to consider. I've left it thinking, why did I bother?

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book has been long awaited, and didn't disappoint. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has beautiful writing. I highly recommend this book!

This long awaited novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie follows four black women in America and Nigeria. Though they are all different they all share a yearning to be known by the ones they love. This is a study of character more than plot. None of the characters are perfect, which makes them feel real. This book is perfect for anyone who loves to read characters who feel real.

🔥 Wow, did this book have heart. Thank you to @aaknopf for the early look at this. It’s out today, and worth your time and attention.

🔥 I say this a lot, but I’ll say it again: one of my favorite things about reading is that it shows me life from perspectives I will just never get in any other way. This is a perfect example. This is a character-driven novel about four different African women who live in different parts of the world.

🔥 It was so powerful and impactful to read about these women and both their individual experiences as well as how they leaned on each other and showed up for each other. Kadiatou’s section was especially emotional.

🔥 This one touches on topics like racism, sexual assault, immigration, the pandemic, sexism— all the things, and it is written so carefully and so personally and, again, with such heart. If you come away from this book and don’t hold these women in your heart— you probably don’t have one.

🔥 I have not read this author’s previous work but I definitely will prioritize it now. I know this is much anticipated for so many people and if it’s not— it should be! Do you plan to read this one?

Dream Count is a brilliantly layered exploration of the quiet hypocrisies we live with—the social graces that encourage us to swallow our truths, keep the peace, and, in doing so, call out how silence isn’t neutrality; it’s complicity.

At the same time, the book skewers the Western—specifically American—need to feel globally enlightened, often in ways that come across as well-intentioned but utterly misinformed. There’s a certain performative awareness that mistakes proximity to culture or wealth for actual understanding of the diversity of our world and global experiences, and Dream Count doesn’t hesitate to hold up a mirror to that.

Where I felt this book really shines is in its deeply personal storytelling. Through the experiences of four African women, it pulls apart the messy, beautiful, and infuriating complexities of family, friendship, and the search for romantic love. It’s insightful, unafraid to push boundaries, and refreshingly honest. I walked away from it feeling challenged in the best way and would vote for this title for any book club.

Pretty unmoved by this book. While it is trying to tackle emotional subjects and heavy themes, it doesn't feel like it really has anythign to say for long swaths. The women the novel centers on are deeply described and complex characters, but the novel spins out in circles for the majority of each of there sections. Information is teased and you wait and wait to understand the context of their lives. The writing is great in moments, but I did not enjoy reading this much and struggled to finish it.

chimamanda_adichie is the author of my heart. I don’t even know what that means but basically: her writing fills me up and sustains me in a way I have never experienced.

Dream Count is a story of four interlinked Nigerian women and the trajectory of their lives. Gutting, lyrical, heartbreaking and joyous— these past ten years of waiting for Adiche’s latest novel is well worth it.

There’s also some fascinating and astute commentary on American individualism and virtue. Only Adiche can present American truisms in such a way that they’re abruptly turned on their heads— making the reading experience so jarring yet illuminating. I don’t want to say too much about the plot because knowing less about it is better going in.

This comes out tomorrow on March 4th! I hope you’ll add it to your list 😍

thanks to @netgalley and @prhaudio for the advanced copies of this wonderful book.

This is the story of four Nigerian women and the way they live their lives. One was raised in America with close ties to Nigeria; two others were born and raised in Nigeria but educated in America; and another is raised in Nigeria but immigrates to America to try to create a better life for herself and her daughter, until a terrible tragedy changes everything.

Each woman has a very different story and different outlook on life. The three more wealthy and educated women are good friends and tell their stories of looking for love and meaning in life, whether it be helping needy people in America or Nigeria, or trying to figure what is important in life, overall.

I always enjoy Adichie’s writing, and this was a good one that focused on women and their needs -- which seems to be very similar, no matter where they come from in the world.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Knopf for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an emotional and poignant story.
A very beautifully written book that I very much enjoyed!

It has been over ten years since we have had new fiction from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie but the wait is over. Dream Count is out tomorrow and it is a story of women. Specifically, four interconnected women, but so much of this felt specific yet universal. Each section of this book focuses on one of the four Nigerian, American, and Nigerian American women, with some conversational overlap, until the end when there is some more convergence. So yes, this does in some ways feel like four segmented stories, but the themes of womanhood, dreams, love, happiness, and choice are omnipresent. 
These women want to be known and they want to be seen. Each is tackling their own struggles, but that is a throughline. The title Dream Count refers to the counting of our dreams achieved, dreams deferred, and dreams taken from us. The writing was exquisite, and this is a book to take your time with. While I found some of the women's stories more captivating than others, they each serve a purpose. 
There is an author's note at the end that cemented this as a win for me, despite dragging in a few of the sections. She speaks about the loss of her mother and how that is the heart of this book (a book is never really about what it's about). I almost want to read it again through this lens. She also lets us know that one of the women is based on a very real person/event that has sent me into a deep dive. It might not hurt to read this first. I'm grateful to have gotten to know these women, flaws and all, and I'm curious to see how often I think of them after finishing this. Thank you @aaknopf for the chance to read and review this ahead of its publication tomorrow.

When I found out about Adichie’s new book and discovered that Zikora was included in Dream Count, I jumped at the chance to read it. My expectations were high, some were met, and some were not.

Dream Count follows the journeys of four women as they navigate life in America, Nigeria, and the spaces in between. We get an intimate look into the lives, loves, and longings of:
— Chiamaka: A Nigerian travel writer feeling isolated in the U.S. during the pandemic.
— Zikora: Chiamaka’s ambitious best friend, recently heartbroken and a new mother.
— Omelogor: Chiamaka’s outspoken cousin in Nigeria, who grapples with her own doubts.
— Kadiatou: Chiamaka’s housekeeper, fiercely determined to create a better life for her daughter in a new country.

Adichie’s storytelling feels like a cozy chat with your favorite elderly aunt, weaving together vivid stories filled with lots of details but also profound insights. The everyday moments and choices these women face are rich with meaning, making the read relatable, thought-provoking, and occasionally frustrating.

In my buddy read with @booksandthemes, we both found Kadiatou’s story to be the most impactful because it shines a bright light on some uncomfortable truths. Her story, filled with sadness and injustices, struck a deep chord and lingered in my thoughts long after finishing Dream Count. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end; it provides essential context about the inspiration behind the story.

Dream Count is an insightful exploration of love, happiness, power, privilege, interconnectedness, and family dynamics.