Imbolo Mbue: Cameroonian-American Novelist and Themes in Her Works
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27 Terms
Full name
Imbolo Mbue
Born
1981
Birthplace
Limbe, Cameroon
Nationality
Cameroonian-American
Current residence
New York City
Occupation
Novelist, short story writer
Early Life Location
Limbe, in the English-speaking region of Cameroon
Moved to the U.S.
1998 for college
Education
Rutgers University (undergrad, business), Columbia University (master's degree)
U.S. Citizenship
Became a U.S. citizen in 2014
Career Before Writing
Worked in corporate marketing/media in New York
Job Loss Event
Lost her job during the Great Recession (2008)
First Novel
Behold the Dreamers (2016)
Behold the Dreamers Themes
Immigration, Class inequality, The American Dream
Achievements of Behold the Dreamers
Won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, Oprah's Book Club selection, Translated into multiple languages and adapted for stage/opera
Second Novel
How Beautiful We Were (2021)
How Beautiful We Were Themes
Environmental destruction, Corporate greed, Colonialism and resistance
Recognition of How Beautiful We Were
Named one of the New York Times' top books of 2021
Short Story
The Case for and Against Love Potions (published in The New Yorker, 2021)
Writing Focus
Immigration and identity, Economic struggle and class differences, African and diasporic experiences, Power, Empathy and human connection
Writing Inspirations
Her own immigrant experience, Observing real people in New York, Her upbringing in Cameroon
Major Awards
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, Blue Metropolis Words to Change Award, Oprah's Book Club selection
Personal Life
Lives in New York City with her husband and children
Writing Career Start
Started writing seriously after losing her job
Interesting Fact
Signed a million-dollar book deal for her first novel before it was published
Writing Style
Mixes personal experience + global issues, Emphasizes empathy as one of literature's most important roles
Development of Second Novel
Took years to develop, starting long before her debut