After reading the first few chapters of Americanah, it is the style that the author, Ngozi Adichie, uses to introduce and build up the story of Ifemelu that ultimately caught my attention. For instance, the story starts off in the present. Ifemelu has been living in Princeton, New Jersey for 13 years and admits that she chose to live in Princeton because “Philadelphia had the musty scent of history. New Haven smelled of neglect. Baltimore smelled of Brine, and Brooklyn of sun-warmed garbage” (1). Judging by her tone and how she regarded these cities, I came to the conclusion that Ifemelu was either not used to urban settings or she had come to America from abroad - the latter ending up being true. It was not until the author flashbacked to
