Dream Count

A Novel

De: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Narrado por: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sandra Okuboyejo, A'rese Emokpae, Janina Edwards

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A publishing event ten years in the making—a searing, exquisite new novel by the bestselling and award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists—the story of four women and their loves, longings, and desires

A Most Anticipated Book of 2025 from The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle, Oprah Daily, Readers Digest, The Seattle Times, LitHub, The Chicago Review of Books, BET, and Radio Times

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 brokenhearted—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.

©2025 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

A Most Anticipated Book of 2025 at The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle, Oprah Daily, Readers Digest, The Seattle Times, LitHub, The Chicago Review of Books, BET, and Radio Times

“Innovative . . . . Adichie’s attention to hierarchies of language, the misuses of jargon, is one of her superpowers . . . . Dream Count, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s first novel in a dozen years, is dreamy indeed. An accumulation of scenes and sensations, cloudlike in their contour, floating this way and that against the backdrop of the pandemic that messed up sleep—and time itself—for us all.”—Alexandra Jacobs, The New York Times

“Expansive . . . . The lives depicted in Dream Count are linked without being integrated, like tapestries on the four walls of a room . . . . The four women are sympathetic allies, but they tend to be better at diagnosing each others’ problems than facing their own. That’s a very recognizable flaw, and Ms. Adichie treats it as humanely as the rest of this tender and wistful novel.”—Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

“More than 10 years on from Americanah, this latest book is infused with something new and distinctive in Adichie’s prose: a crystal-clear purposefulness, moral and furious . . . . What elevates the story is, as ever, the emotional acuity of Adichie’s writing . . . . This latest book is infused with something new and distinctive in Adichie’s prose: a crystal-clear purposefulness, moral and furious . . . . In her ‘Author’s Note’, Adichie admits to seeking ‘to “write” a wrong in the balance of stories’, offering ‘clear-eyed realism, but touched by tenderness’. Realism, yes, but tenderness most of all.”—Shahidha Bari, Financial Times

Such a beautiful book

I love this author- her writing is so beautiful it is almost poetic but also sometimes raw and direct. I did not want to reach the end of this story, I was so immersed in the lives of the characters. This book made me think about happiness, race, and class in new and deeper ways and had me looking back over my relationships and experiences with a different lens. I can’t wait for this author’s next book.

Superb!

I truly enjoyed this book. Adichie certainly didn’t disappoint as she weaves a story surrounding the lives of four women. It stirred deep emotions in me. Hearing it in audiobook was particularly special.

Daring and candid!

Mrs Adichie has outdone herself once again! This book hit my audible on the day it was released and I put everything else on hold! I am so SAD this book ended! I would love a book with a perspective of the mothers. I had mini book sessions with my girlfriend after each character but had to stop her since, she was ahead and started mixing up the characters and telling me things I had not yet read. All the stories are so relevant. The candor and vulnerability of the women was so refreshing. My girlfriend says she does not know what “superlative” to use to describe this book and I thought yes, SUPERLATIVE is the word. Books are so, so important. After a book like this, I truly feel time added to my life. This book actually inspired me to order Moi Moi from my Igbo colleague cooked in leaves, so I can have it for breakfast like Omelogor! I pray for a long, long writing career for Ms ChimAmanda. We need more African writers telling our stories, especially the female perspective. This should be required reading for all African girls. At least west African girls. Can’t wait for your next book! Thank you!!!!

Her control of words

Loved this beautiful written story and the courage in daring to dream. Thoroughly engaging and unwilling to put down once started.

Captivating, Beautifully Narrated

I have almost zero insight into the lives of African women and this story has been a boon.

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The interwoven story of women closely connected was masterfully told. Incredible character development. Excellent narration.

Reflections Across Humanity and Culture

DreamCount is a powerful, layered, and deeply resonant novel. I saw parts of myself in all the women—Omelogo, Chiamaka, Kadiatou, and Ziko. Their lives and perspectives intertwined in ways that felt both personal and universal.

I related deeply to Chiamaka, especially the tension between who you are and how others perceive you. Sometimes people engage with the idea of you, not the real you—and that disconnect can be both frustrating and fascinating to navigate.

There’s so much more to Omelogo. I connected with her drive and her desire to do good. Of course, the corruption in some of our countries is what it is, but her story—like the others—was filled with insight, courage, and the quiet resilience so many Black and African women carry.

Kadiatou’s objectification broke my heart. Justice is too often available only to some, and money too often buys freedom. Her perspective, juxtaposed with the views of the educated, American, and global cultures she encountered, highlighted just how complex identity, agency, and power really are. Every relationship explored in this book was layered and emotionally rich.

And I won’t even start on the exploring… I remember when I first came to this country, how frustrating it was that no one would just give a straight answer—especially in corporate spaces. Everything had to be “explored” or discussed in vague, subtle terms that felt intentionally unclear. It’s a very real and frustrating part of American corporate and academic culture, and I appreciated how Adichie captured it so sharply.

Ziko’s mother-daughter relationship was another highlight. I loved watching her mother become more human over time. It reminded me that when you take the time to understand why people make the choices they do, compassion follows—and with it, a deeper perspective on how to move forward.

Adichie doesn’t just write characters; she gives us mirrors. This book is an 15 out of 10 for me. Honest, moving, unforgettable.

Such a moving story with great narration

The narration of this was great and really brought the story to life. I loved how the stories all flowed into each other and the little insights. A really insightful look into the lives of various African women. Highly recommend if your looking for just a gentle story with lots of great nuggets of wisdom that is well written.

Interesting

I really enjoyed this book. It is extremely well written and thought provoking. The only thing I could say I didn’t like is all the names were so difficult that took me a while to get the characters straight. I think listening to it made the names more difficult. Had I read the book it would probably been a lot easier.

Great novel

Loved the depth of character development. Having recently visited West Africa, and had many wonderful and emotional encounters with locals, I especially loved this novel.