Literary circles buzzed with excitement this weekend as Chimamanda Adichie, one of contemporary literature’s most celebrated voices, stepped back into the spotlight. The occasion? The imminent release of Dreamcount, her first novel in nearly 12 years, sparked a whirlwind of high-profile appearances and revelations.
The New Yorker published an excerpt titled Chuka, while Vogue captured Adichie in a striking photo spread. She further delighted fans with The Story of My First Love, a personal essay about a boy showcasing her signature ability to imbue simplicity with profound emotion. Two decades after Purple Hibiscus first enchanted readers in 2003, Adichie’s literary brilliance remains as compelling as ever.
In a candid feature with The Guardian, she opened up about the creative struggles that followed her father’s passing and revealed that Dreamcount was written with women in mind. “The title refers to a woman wanting a life on her own terms, and the things that get in the way of that,” Adichie explained. The conversation meandered through various topics—from her experience of grief and thoughts on Donald Trump to more personal conversations about her young twins. Her comments on cancel culture, in particular, brought about spirited debate across social media.
With Dreamcount set to launch on March 4, anticipation builds for what some consider could be Adichie’s most significant work yet. Here are five things to expect from the book:
Love Takes Center Stage
Adichie is fond of weaving love into her narratives, though it’s often intertwined with weightier themes of race, war, power, or religion. This time, however, the publisher’s note suggests a shift in focus, describing Dreamcount as an exploration of “the very nature of love itself.” This hints that while broader themes may exist, love stands firmly at the story’s heart.
The novel promises to examine love in its many incarnations, moving beyond mere romance. Through the lives of its four central characters—Chiamaka, Zikora, Omelogor, and Kadiatou, Dreamcount appears poised to explore the human condition: the bonds between mothers and daughters, friendship, family ties, and the various ways love shapes our understanding of ourselves and others.
It Will Have Different Character POVs
While Chiamaka anchors the narrative, Dreamcount is a quartet of female perspectives. Through her story of pandemic-era romantic reflection, we will meet three other women whose lives intersect with hers in profound ways: Zikora, her best friend grappling with betrayal and heartbreak; Omelogor, a cousin on a journey of identity discovery; and Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, whose dreams for her daughter hang precariously in the balance.
In her Guardian interview, Adichie revealed her deliberate choice to confront women’s physical experiences head-on, from PMS to the “gritty reality” women have with their bodies. “If one is writing honestly about women’s lives,” she explained, “it seems self-evident that we have to talk about these issues in a very open way because they affect everything. They affect how well a woman does. They affect your emotional well-being. They get in the way of your dreams. If you’re a woman whose dream is to have a family, for example, fibroids can get in the way.”
This suggests Dreamcount will portray its characters’ internal and external struggles. Beyond the visible battles with marital pressures, delayed motherhood, and career aspirations, these women will likely navigate the often-unspoken challenges of their physical existence.
Revisiting Zikora
In 2020, Adichie introduced us to Zikora in the eponymous short story. She is a Nigerian lawyer in America whose life shatters when her seemingly perfect partner abandons her upon learning of her pregnancy. The story resonated deeply with readers relating to the struggle of a 37-year-old woman who chose to embrace motherhood despite rejection.
Now, Dreamcount promises to reopen Zikora’s story, inviting readers to discover the next chapter of her life. What path has she forged since those difficult days? Has she found new love, or has her journey taken unexpected turns? How has motherhood transformed her relationship with her own mother, a connection that was both complex and profound in the original story? Most intriguingly, how has her child—whose arrival marked both an ending and a beginning—shaped her world?
Zikora’s initial story captured the often-unspoken trauma of women facing pregnancy alone. Her return to Dreamcount offers a rare chance to see how a character, admired for her vulnerability and strength, has evolved.
Identity, Loss, and Life’s Meaning
In Adichie’s literary universe, the question of identity has always been explored fully (Ifemelu’s in Americanah, Kambili in Purple Hibiscus.) Dreamcount will be no different.
The novel is set to explore fundamental questions that Adichie posed when announcing the book: “What is a full life? What does ‘meaning’ mean?” These profound inquiries suggest a narrative that delves into the essence of human existence and purpose.
The shadow of personal loss also threads through the work, though perhaps in unexpected ways. As Adichie revealed in The Guardian, she unconsciously wove elements of her late mother into the narrative, only recognizing this near the manuscript’s completion. “It wasn’t intentional,” she reflected. “I’m happy that it’s not a sad book. She wouldn’t want a sad book dedicated to her.” This subtle influence suggests Dreamcount will explore grief not as a dominant theme, but as part of life’s complexities. How loss shapes us without defining us, how memory persists in surprising ways, and how joy can coexist with sorrow.
The Shadow of Chuka
The New Yorker excerpt offers a glimpse into Chiamaka and Chuka’s relationship. Before their split, he was the object of her desires and a symbol of her limitations. His life—methodical, predictable, perhaps even sterile—pushes Chiamaka to choose a different path for herself. His wounded silence following her rejection of marriage speaks volumes, hinting at deeper themes of expectation in relationships.
The narrative suggests an almost inevitable trajectory: Chuka will marry someone else, and that decision will likely force Chiamaka to confront her choices anew. This potential development promises to explore the nuanced territory between the comfort of conventional paths and the uncertainty of forging one’s own.
The anticipation surrounding Dreamcount’s March 4 release is palpable. While we can’t quite declare it a public holiday, the novel is poised to offer readers something equally exciting: a deep exploration of love, choice, and the courage to define happiness on one’s own terms.
