num_pages: 368
description: America is seen through the eyes and ambitions of three characters with ties to Africa in this gripping novelWhen siblings Jacob and Belinda Nti were growing up in Ghana their goal was simple: to move to America. For them the United States was both an opportunity and a struggle a goal and an obstacle. Jacob an awkward computer programmer who still lives with his father wants a visa so he can move to Virginia to live with his wifea request that the U.S. government has repeatedly denied. He envies his sister Belinda who achieved as their father put it what Napoleon could not do: she went to college and law school in the United States and even managed to marry Wilder a wealthy Black businessman from Texas. Wilders view of America differs markedly from his wifes as hes spent his life railing against the racism and marginalization that are part of life for every African American living here. For these three their desires and ambitions highlight the promise and the disappointment that life in a new country offers. How each character comes to understand this and how each learns from both their dashed hopes and their fulfilled dreams lie at the heart of what makes What Napoleon Could Not Do such a compelling insightful read.One of Vultures Best Books of 2023 (So Far)One of Goodreads Buzziest Debut Novels of 2023One of Essences 31 Books You Must Read This YearOne of Esquires Best Books of Winter 2023One of TIMEs 12 Best Books of February 2023One of the most anticipated books by Town &amp; Country Elle and Vulture
language: English
title: What Napoleon Could Not Do
publisher: Riverhead Books