Pages: widely anticipated and eagerly awaited, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s newest book, ‘Dream Count,’ has been 10 years in the making and will be out on 4 March 2025.
Described as “a searing, exquisite new novel” by Penguin Random House, its story revolves around “four women and their loves, longings, and desires”.
Describing the book, Penguin Random House states: “Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until – betrayed and broken hearted – she must turn to the person she thought she needed least. Omelogor, Chiamaka’s bold, outspoken cousin, is a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, is proudly raising her daughter in America – but faces an unthinkable hardship that threatens all she has worked to achieve.
“In ‘Dream Count,’ Adichie trains her fierce eye on these women in a sparkling, transcendent novel that takes up the very nature of love itself. Is true happiness ever attainable or is it just a fleeting state? And how honest must we be with ourselves in order to love, and to be loved? A trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world, ‘Dream Count’ pulses with emotional urgency and poignant, unflinching observations of the human heart, in language that soars with beauty and power. It confirms Adichie’s status as one of the most exciting and dynamic writers on the literary landscape.”
Here’s hoping local bookstores keep an eye on this exciting development and pre-order it!
Poems: today, I share this poignant poem titled ‘Shoulders’ by Arab American poet, editor, songwriter, and novelist Naomi Shihab Nye.
A man crosses the street in rain,
stepping gently, looking two times north and south,
because his son is asleep on his shoulder.
No car must splash him.
No car drive too near to his shadow.
This man carries the world’s most sensitive cargo
but he’s not marked.
Nowhere does his jacket say FRAGILE,
HANDLE WITH CARE.
His ear fills up with breathing.
He hears the hum of a boy’s dream
deep inside him.
We’re not going to be able
to live in this world
if we’re not willing to do what he’s doing
with one another.
The road will only be wide.
The rain will never stop falling.
There’s a lesson in this poem for all of us on fragility and needing to be handled with – and handle others with – care. Whether or not we realise it, human beings are easily breakable, fragile things and we are all on this uncertain journey together.
Earlier this month the Texas Book Festival announced that it would be presenting Nye its ‘Texas Writer Award’ next month – presented to writers who have had a deep impact on Texas literature.
Born to a Palestinian father and American mother, Nye began writing poetry at the age of six and has published several volumes of poetry.
Plates: sometimes I crave sushi but can’t bring myself to leave the house. Thankfully, I have a solution to this dilemma: Sushi Kai.
Sushi Kai is quite a decent option if you – like me and the majority – cannot make sushi and don’t want to empty your wallet to enjoy some while also keeping the freshness factor in mind.
The Jawatte Road outlet (which is the only one I have tried) has never disappointed me and unfailingly ticks the boxes on speedy delivery and freshness.
My go-to choices for delivery – all of which are seen in the picture here – are the crispy red (salmon, cucumber, and tempura bubbles, with chilli mayonnaise), volcano roll (cucumber, avocado, crab salad, and bell pepper, with chilli mayonnaise), and California roll (crab stick, cucumber, and avocado).
All of these are ‘uramaki,’ which means ‘inside out’: the rice is on the outside, making it an ideal variation for sushi with more than one filling.
Tip: the bento sets are quite popular and the tempura dishes and ramen are yummy too.