"Behold the Dreamers" - SDS Pick for August 2017

Imbolo Mbue's debut novel, "Behold the Dreamers", was the SDS pick for August 2017.  A page turning, fast read, Mbue tells the story of a Cameroonian couple's challenges in their quest for citizenship in America.  A timely and all too familiar story for so many, Mbue provides insight into the challenges faced by immigrant families.  Readers bond with the characters and feel the desperation, the joy of triumph and the heartbreak of failure experienced by the main characters and the family who employs them.  

While some members loved Mbue's novel, as they identified with the everyday struggle for survival experienced by not only the immigrant community, but also working-class Americans, other members were more critical, noting the need for further character development.  Overall, "Behold the Dreamers" is worth the read as it creates a space for dialogue about one of the most politically and socially, controversial issues of our time.