The Bad Immigrant

Publisher: Interlink Books

Amazon:

Covering a wide range of issues, including interracial and intraracial tensions, and familial stresses exacerbated in a new geographic and cultural environment, The Bad Immigrant is a thoroughgoing exposition of the many challenges that confront a modern migrant, told from the perspective of a protagonist whose sophistication and academic prowess are no guarantee of success in a country that is prone to valuing conformity over merit. Atta grounds Lukmon's narrative in a rich array of cultural and literary allusions that testify to the author's wit and skillful management of complex matters in a manner at once erudite and accessible.

THE REVIEWS

“Atta is unflinching in her portrayal . . . This is a trenchant and notable take on the immigrant experience.”
– Publishers Weekly starred review

“A fun, thought-provoking, and refreshing culture-clash tale featuring a loving family adapting to a strange, new land.”
– Booklist

“Atta's intelligent, unfiltered, satirical storytelling is compelling and compassionate.”
– Christian Science Monitor Science

“Atta seamlessly joins word to word to deliver a mansion that is only possible as a result of compromise, hope and determination. This powerful tale convincingly delivers both joy and pain.”
–The Lagos Review

“A clever, compassionate and swift-paced exploration of identity, race, and belonging. In prose that is both witty and sharp, Atta draws the reader into an unforgettable tale of an immigrant family finding ways to live their own versions of the American dream. A brilliant, brilliant book.”
–Chika Unigwe, author of Better Never than Late

“Atta humorously and honestly executes the story of the Karim family as they try to make sense of the elusive American dream after winning the visa lottery. A hilarious, painfully candid, and thoroughly captivating read.”
–Bunmi Oyinsan, author of Three Women

“An outstanding book from an exceptional author in which words seamlessly build on one another to erect a towering tale of compromise, tenacity, and hope, interlaced with wittiness and keen observations about culture and human character.”
–Benjamin Kwakye, author of The Clothes of Nakedness

“This is such a powerful tale. Sefi Atta introduces us to a Nigerian family that has just arrived in America and renders their lives so effectively, so compellingly, that soon enough we find ourselves feeling their joy and pain, and we discover that by rooting for them we are also rooting for ourselves. An essential read.”
–Tope Folarin, author of A Particular Kind of Black Man

AN EXCERPT

I was no Ngugi-ist, so it didn't matter what Ismail had said about Yoruba. I'd taught in English and spoke and wrote English, happily. I wasn't one to champion the use of a universal African language like Kiswahili either, because chances were that Swahili people would find a way to show other Africans their Kiswahili was superior. Despite the damage done by colonialism, I didn't agree with language advocates of any kind. If my children had to drop U from their spellings, substitute S with Z and call Z "Zee" in America, then so be it. Wanna, gonna, warder, wardever. British English was never their language to protect, or defend, to begin with. The Yoruba they spoke was Lagos Yoruba, which wasn't the same Yoruba I'd spoken in Abeokuta. Language, to my mind, was its own best advocate and subject to necessity alone. Any attempt to own it, control it, or impose it on others, would only end in its mutation.