Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Dream Counts: A Story Born from Pain, Poetry, and Power

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is back, and it feels like a long-lost friend has finally returned. After more than a decade since her last novel, Americanah, she gifts us

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Dream Counts a book that is as much about storytelling as it is about survival.

This isn’t just another novel; it’s a deeply personal journey, shaped by grief, self-doubt, and the healing power of words.

Why This Book Feels Different

For years, many of us wondered why Adichie hadn’t written another novel. She kept giving us essays, speeches, and short fiction, but something was missing.

Then, she lost her father in 2020. Less than a year later, her mother passed away too. These tragedies silenced her in a way she had never experienced before.

In a recent New York Times interview, she admitted she thought she might never write fiction again. But poetry saved her.

In the depths of grief, she turned to poetry not for publication, but for herself. And slowly, those poems led her back to storytelling. That’s how Dream Counts was born.

What’s Dream Counts About?

This book tells the story of four African women, Chiamaka (Chia), Zikora, Omelogor, and Kadiatou each dealing with love, loss, ambition, and identity. Their lives intertwine in ways that feel both unexpected and deeply real.

Dream count

Adichie has always been a master of human emotions, and here, she explores:

• Sisterhood and female solidarity: How women uplift, challenge, and sometimes betray each other.

• Diaspora struggles: The balance between longing for home and embracing new worlds.

• Love, power, and justice: What it means to fight for yourself in a world that tries to silence you.

One of the most talked-about characters, Kadiatou, is inspired by Nafissatou Diallo, the woman who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault.

Reading Dream Counts Feels Like…

Reading this book is like sitting across from Adichie herself and listening to her tell a story over tea. The words flow effortlessly, the emotions hit hard, and the characters feel like people you know.

It’s the kind of novel that makes you pause, reflect, and sometimes even whisper, I’ve felt this before.

There’s pain here, but there’s also hope. There’s loss, but also strength. And more than anything,

there’s the reminder that even in the darkest times, stories still count and so do our dreams.

Why You Should Read It

If you’ve ever loved an Adichie novel, this one will feel like home. If you’ve ever felt lost, it will remind you of your strength.

And if you’ve ever doubted your own voice, Dream Counts will make you believe in its power again.

Chimamanda is back. And she has something important to say.