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Is there anything more consuming of our stray thoughts than past lovers? Four single African women, three of whom live in the United States and one of whom lives in Abuja, Nigeria, each remembers the men in their lives whom they once loved and then lost—their dream count. This poignant, masterfully written novel by award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a book to which all women—no matter their race—will relate.

• Chiamaka, the only daughter in a fabulously wealthy Nigerian family, lives in the United States and works (without making much money) as a freelance travel writer. When the Covid pandemic hits in 2020, her almost frantic international travels cease, and she spends the quiet time in her Maryland home remembering many failed love affairs.

• Zikora, an attorney in Washington, D.C., is Chiamaka's best friend. It took a long time, but Zikora finally fell in love with the perfect man. Well, he was perfect until Zikora got pregnant…and he immediately fled. Now she is a single mother, filled with resentment and a broken heart, blaming past boyfriends for stealing her time.

• Omelogor, Chiamaka's cousin, lives in Abuja, Nigeria. She is tough, forthright, and opinionated. She is also a huge success in business, although much of it is dishonest and illegal, earning her enormous wealth and prestige. After leaving a high-level banking job, she runs a website called "For Men Only" where she parcels advice about dating, love, and sex. But after an offhand comment from her Aunty Jane, who called Omelogor's life empty because she isn't married and a mother, she is seriously questioning who she is and what she stands for.

• Kadiatou, Chiamaka's housekeeper, has a teenaged daughter, Binta, whom she is raising alone. Binta's father died before he even knew his new wife was pregnant. Her childhood best friend, Amadou, helped her escape from an oppressive situation in Guinea and move to New York. Although they intended to marry, Amadou was caught selling marijuana and received a long prison sentence in faraway Texas. Kadiatou is proud of all she does, especially when she gets a job as a hotel maid. All is well until one day a French VIP guest rapes her as she is cleaning his room. The case goes viral internationally with Kadiatou's identity revealed where she is devoured online by rapacious strangers who know only the barest facts of what really happened. (If it sounds familiar, it's because it's based on a similar, real-life case inspired by Nafissatou Diallo.)

This is a book about friendship, love, heartbreak, and the reverberations of the choices we make in life when our dreams, especially for marriage and motherhood, don't come true. But it is always the sisterhood of friendship that abides throughout the years, offering grounding and solace.

With vividly drawn characters that pop off the page, this remarkable and sophisticated novel is an emotionally searing story of the human heart.

I was given an advance reader's copy of this book for an upcoming book club discussion. I was excited and honored to get it because Purple Hibiscus, Adichie's earlier book, is one of my favorites and I think this, the second book I've read by her, will be joining that list.

First, the book is definitely a character-driven novel, though with four female characters (Chiamaka, Zikora, Kadiatou, and Omelgor) whose lives intertwine and with whom you become intimately involved and develop a connection. The four women comes from different backgrounds in their native Nigeria: Chiamaka and Zikora come from wealth and while Omelgor might be more middle class, she cleverly abuses the system to gain wealth; Kadiatou is poor but manages through a series of circumstances to find her way to America where she succeed in creating a good life and finds herself in a friendship with Chiamaka.

Second, a part of the story line is based on real event (the author's note explains this in great detail), so there is an historical element to the telling of these women's lives. This event is fraught with misogyny, sexism and degradation, pointing to dilemmas women, regardless of nationality and country, face every day. Finally, the title itself is about all the women's "dreams" about finding a man who will be "the one" to complete her but in all four stories, "no one" emerges, but these women seem fulfilled in their lives as their stories are told and unfold in the book.

The book is divided into five parts: the first four revolve around each of the characters; the last goes back to Chiamaka, who is the main character, as her friendships and familial relationships are what tie all four women together. In dividing the book this way, Adichie develops her characters, intertwines the women together and shows how as each possibly pursues finding a husband (this is very big in the Nigerian culture, so relatives are always nagging at the women about this), the men they meet either are self-serving, selfish or have secondary motives in pursuing a relationship. When Kadiatou does marry (she really doesn't have the option to be independent), it is an arranged marriage to an older man and it's not all that great. Omelgor writes a column or blog filled with letters advising men on their foibles and why they drive women aways - some of very funny and clever.

All in all, the dream aspect in the novel serves as a great counterpoint to what happens to Kadiatou (you have to read the book to find out what this is), showing that men can be inherently cruel, selfish and that society in general really doesn't have all that high of opinion on women. I really enjoyed this book both for the story line, the female characters who are all so different but who represent real women and their struggles to fit into society, and for the writing itself. Adichie is a wonderful writer. Highly recommend.

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The readings by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sandra Okuboyejo, A’rese Emokpae, and Janina Edwards, are all very well done. I paired the audiobook with the book.

Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state?

Set in Nigeria and America, Dream Count is centered around four women depicting the complexity of each of their lives: Chiamaka, Zikora, Kadiatou, and Omelogor, each reflecting of becoming the best versions of themselves. Chiamaka, a travel writer yearning for a soulmate; Zikora, an ambitious lawyer wanting a career, and the so called, “perfect” family; Kadiatou, a maid seeking opportunities in America; and Omelogor, a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself.

Themes of love, motherhood, identity, privilege, longing, regret, and the search for connection are explored in this complex and layered story. A distinctly feminist note rings throughout the book. The atmosphere of pre-lockdown uncertainty of 2020 pandemic is only a backdrop for the reminiscing of the characters. This is my first read of Adichie’s and I really enjoyed it, but felt it was a tad too long. The gender strictures put upon them is the culture of what is expected of Nigerian women. The universal yearning to be known and loved ties each of these women together. I found the character of Kadiatou to be the centerpiece of this book. Adichie, is a gifted storyteller and her writing is beautiful and poetic. I will be reading more from this skilled author.

Thank you to BookBrowse and Penguin Random House for the book to read and discuss.