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A publishing event ten years in the making—a searing, exquisite new novel by the bestselling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists—the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires.
Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until—betrayed and brokenhearted—she must turn to the person she thought she needed least. Omelogor, Chiamaka's bold, outspoken cousin, is a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka's housekeeper, is proudly raising her daughter in America—but faces an unthinkable hardship that threatens all she has worked to achieve.
In Dream Count, Adichie trains her fierce eye on these women in a sparkling, transcendent novel that takes up the very nature of love itself. Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state? And how honest must we be with ourselves in order to love, and to be loved? A trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world, Dream Count pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations of the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power. It confirms Adichie's status as one of the most exciting and dynamic writers on the literary landscape.
What did you think of the book’s title? Did you figure out its meaning before it was revealed toward the end of the book? Do you think the phrase is apt?
I had no clue until the meaning of the title was spelled out at the end of the book! I like the phrase, but I do not like that it was applied seemingly only to relationships.
-Laura_D
Chia asks Chuka, “Do you sometimes want to escape and find another life?” Why do you think she sometimes feels trapped? Have you ever felt similarly?
Chia was trapped by the expectations of her family and their position in society. I also think she trapped herself by feeling trapped. It became self perpetuating for her.
-Laura_D
Chia also thinks, “Where have all the years gone, and have I made the most of life? But what is the final measure for making the most of life, and how would I know if I have?” How would you answer her?
Everything she has done and relationship she has had , has made her who she is today. I don't think (we)she can pick and choose what we keep or eliminate in our past. It all culminates with the who we are of today. It's like a thought experiment because time moves only one way. Of course we can f...
-Karen_K
Overall, what did you think of the men in this book? Did you find any "good ones" -- ones who might be considered a good life partner?
Chuka seemed like a "good one" – but I understand Chia's reluctance to attach herself to someone so satisfied and set in his ways. I also, of course, had high hopes for Kwame and Zikora – until!!! The variety of ways Adichie chose to illustrate how men can treat women poorly was truly breathtaking!
-Michelle_H
What did you think of Omelogor's experience of American graduate school students?
Of course it doesn't only apply to grad students – but in the novel, that's where Omelogor experiences this type of American
-Michelle_H
The plot is set during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. What do you think of the way the main characters reacted to the lockdown? How were their experiences similar to or different from your own?
I feel we will be processing this for years to come. The shared trauma of this time, the unmourned losses. The people dieing alone with family at bedside. People unable to gather together to mourn so devastating. I love love to see the books written about this time as it helps me process my own l...
-Karen_K
What audience would you recommend Dream Count to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style? If you’ve read the author’s other works, how does this one compare?
I wish all men would be required to read it!
-Michelle_H
Aside from Kadi, a character written to tug at our heartstrings, which woman held the most appeal for you?
Omelogor. I like women who are outspoken and do not put up with nonsense with men. I loved her posts to them though, because she really did have compassion for the ways their upbringing had limited them. I also loved the way she could easily manipulate men who are driven by their bloated – and fr...
-Michelle_H
Zikora tells Omelogor and Chia that “every woman has a story…where a man has lied to her or betrayed her and left her with consequences.” Do you think this is true?
I agree with Laura D and others. Every women , no adn many women-yes. So much depends upon your culture and ethnicity- and even religion! Some women have been treated poorly, of course, but not everyone! I am lucky to be married to a man who respects my opinion and treats me with respect. He has ...
-Lin_Z
“In an unfinished dying, you feel you must mourn but you can’t even begin, because you haven’t reached an end that you understand,” Zikora thinks of the end of her romance with Kwame. Do you relate to this statement? What advice would you give her?
I can relate to this, having expectations, and dreams and just have it end, it takes a long time to get over. You just have to go on and be grateful for everything you do have and before you know it you've moved on!
-Diane_P
What did you think of Omelogor’s “Dear Men” column? Did you agree or disagree with any of the advice she gave? Which bits?
I thought it was kind of funny. She seemed very uninhibited and outgoing in her advice!
-Diane_P
What did you think of Kadi’s story? Why do you think the hotel was so insistent on prosecuting the guest who raped her, even though she herself didn’t want to pursue charges? What roles did race and nationality play in her experience?
I found Kadi's situation so sad. It's just seems so typical of the way most woman are treated when they have been assaulted, I couldn't blame her for the reaction she had at the news her case was being dropped.
-Diane_P
Is there a quote or scene in Dream Count that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
It is the last scene in the book where Kadiatou learned the case has been dismissed. Chia is saying "I wanted to savor this moment for just a little bit longer, Kadi and Binta, these two thoroughly decent people, mother and daughter, sitting on a sofa holding hands, their faces bathed in light." ...
-Micheline_Heckler
Chia, Omelogor and Zikora are pressured to marry and have children, particularly by their Nigerian relatives and culture. How is each influenced, and how does each pursue this goal? Do you feel Western cultures are equally guilty of this?
I agree with J … perhaps because I also am a grandmother and have seen the changes in our country over the years. While women of my generation generally married in their 20's and there was an expectation for them to have children within a few years, this has changed. I have two nieces in their la...
-Lisa_G
Omelogor asks Hauwa, “Isn’t that what friendship is, to want each other’s approval?” What did you think of this statement? What’s your definition of friendship?
I wonder if "approval" was what Omelogor really was seeking here, as opposed to feeling seen, understood, which is another way of saying "feeling accepted." I agree that in mature relationships, friends don't issue approvals or disapprovals—they seek to understand one another, they are open to ex...
-JLPen77
Chia, Zikora and Kadi all pray. What role does faith play in each of these women’s lives?
I think also that their desire to pray was a way to stay connected to their families of origin as well as their villages and provided a day to day stability for them. And Omelogor's musings about watching the gatekeeper Mohammed praying several times a day just outside her apartment was so touching.
-Margaret_K
Overall, what did you think of Dream Count? (no spoilers, please!)
I enjoyed reading Americanah and I was looking forward to another great read. Even though the writing and the descriptions are beautiful, I was disappointed at the content. I had difficulty relating to the characters in general.
-Micheline_Heckler
The first sentence of the novel has Chia musing, “I have always longed to be known, truly known, by another human being.” What do you feel she means? Do you think what she desires is possible? How does this theme play out over the course of the book?
I agree she is looking for a soulmate and this is a very natural longing. But she is much too worried about appearances and expectations—including her family's traditions—and not really in touch with her self; she wastes too much time lying to herself and others about Darnell. She struck me as sp...
-JLPen77
Someone tells Omelogor, “You know they don’t want us to learn our history.” She responds, “Go and learn your history. It’s not anybody’s responsibility to teach you.” What did you think of this scene? Do you agree with Omelogor?
Omelegor is right to suggest we owe it to ourselves to take our history (as people of a certain identity that matters to us) into our own hands. I think that is what she meant. She wanted him to care about their history. It is not unlike the message in Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars : some people...
-JLPen77
What are you reading this week? (3/12/2025)
Half of a Yellow Sun-- beautiful book and the author has a new one out: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dream Count
-Claire_Mauro
What do you think each of the women’s lives might look like ten years after the conclusion of Dream Count?
Being an idealist and hopeful optimist, I see Chia married to her soulmate, Kadi will be married to Amadou who will be an honest, hard working and loving husband and stepfather, Zikora will be a great mother to Chidera and not focus on her love life until he is grown to be a man, and Omelogor wil...
-Elizabeth_L
In what ways do the characters' experiences of racism differ based on their gender, background, and geographical location? What racial barriers do Zikora and Chia in particular face as they pursue their careers?
Definitely Katailou had the most difficult experiences with racism and gender because she did have money and privilege that the other 3 had. However, all of them experienced discrimination and misogyny.
-Janine_S
Why do you feel there’s so much animosity between Zikora and Omelogor?
Why do you feel there's so much animosity between Zikora and Omelogor?
-kim.kovacs
About the Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Discussion
Please join BookBrowse in our book club discussion of Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
-system
What are you reading this week (1/2/2025)?
I'm reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/753002/dream-count-by-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/ DREAM COUNT (out in March—her first novel in 10 years!) and also, on the nonfiction side, Laura Marris's gorgeous https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/age-loneliness THE ...
-Norah_Piehl
"In today's world, when people seem at once too cut off and too much in each other's business, readers will feel communion with these tense, put-upon, yet resilient women in crisis. Adichie weaves stories of heartbreak and travail that are timely, touching, and trenchant." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Adichie returns to fiction after more than a decade with this superb tale of the fleeting joys and abiding disappointments of four African women on both sides of the Atlantic...[She] riffs brilliantly on what feminism means to her characters and renders each woman's story in a distinctive voice…This is well worth the wait." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Every aspect of this transfixing, intimate, and astute group portrait is ablaze with scorching insights into the maddening absurdities and injustices that continue to plague women's lives...Adichie's magnificently vital, sharply forthright novel will be one of the year's most sought after and resounding titles." —Booklist (starred review)
This information about Dream Count was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo © Okey Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie grew up in Nigeria. Her work has been translated into more than fifty-five languages. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize; Half of a Yellow Sun, which was the recipient of the Women's Prize for Fiction "Best of the Best" award; Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award; the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck and the essays We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. Her most recent work is an essay about losing her father, Notes on Grief, and Mama's Sleeping Scarf, a children's book written as Nwa Grace-James. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Website
Name Pronunciation
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Chim-muh-MAHN-duh en-GOH-zee ah-DEECH-ee-(ay) The “ay” is soft, not quite a diphthong.
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