Behold the Dreamers

Jende Jonga grew up in the seaside town of Limbe in Cameroon and arrived in New York determined to succeed. He lives in a small Harlem apartment with his wife, Neni, a lively, ambitious woman studying to become a pharmacist, and their son, Liomi. When a relative helps him get an interview with Clark Edwards, a powerful Wall Street banker, Jende is thrilled to be hired as his driver, and he is loyal, discreet and grateful.

Through the car window and the Edwards household, the Jongas glimpse a world of enormous wealth: summer houses in the Hamptons, private schools and polished dinners. But the Edwards family has troubles too, including a strained marriage, a son questioning the life planned for him and the long hours Clark spends at a bank heading toward collapse. Meanwhile, Jende's application to stay in the country moves slowly through the courts. When Lehman Brothers falls in September 2008, the shock travels down to everyone who depends on it, and Jende and Neni find their marriage and their dreams tested.

Tender, funny in places and quietly powerful. About 416 pages. An Oprah's Book Club selection and winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.