Behold the Dreamers (Oprah's Book Club) by Imbolo Mbue

A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream-the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy New York Times Bestseller, Winner of the Pen/Faulkner Award, Longlisted for the Pen/Open Book Award, An Ala Notable Book Named One Of The Best Books Of The Year By Npr, The New York Times Book Review, San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chicago Public Library, Book Page, Refinery29, Kirkus Reviews Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty-and Jende is eager to please. Clark's wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses' summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future.