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Story 9: The Shivering

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On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 9 titled The Shivering. Today's story felt beautiful in a quiet, familiar way. It begins with a plane crash in Nigeria. After hearing the news, Ukamaka gets a knock on her door from Chinedu, a fellow Nigerian living in her postgraduate lodge. He suggests they pray together, and from that moment, an unexpected friendship begins. Through their conversations, Ukamaka finally starts talking about her ex boyfriend, the man who had recently broken up with her and who was supposed to be on that flight but somehow missed it. A breakup so painful it had sent her back to church. One thing I really loved about this story was the friendship between Ukamaka and Chinedu. He listened to her talk endlessly about her ex, never rushing her, never trying to fix things, just quietly being there. Sometimes that's exactly what people need. As they grow closer, Ukamaka learns ...
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Story 8: The American Embassy

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On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 8 titled The American Embassy. Gbam!!! Another powerful story, this particular one broke my heart. The story follows a woman whose journalist husband writes critically about a political figure. One day, armed men storm their home looking for him. Unable to find him, they kill their four year old son instead, a child she had spent years trying to conceive. What made the story even more painful was that she didn't see her husband as brave the way everyone else did. As far as she was concerned, his bravery had cost her everything. Her son was dead, her husband had fled the country, and she was left carrying the weight of a loss no parent should ever have to bear. She eventually goes to the American Embassy to apply for asylum. All she has to do is tell her story, but she can't and that's where this story really got me. Because this wasn't a story about visas or...
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Story 7: The Thing Around Your Neck

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  On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 7 titled The Thing Around Your Neck. Okayyyy, this one had me confused for most of the story because I was constantly trying to figure out what exactly the thing around her neck was.   First of all, can we talk about the narration? This wasn't the usual first person or third person POV. It was written in second person, and my goodness, was it flawless? It felt like the story was happening to you and not just being told to you. The story follows Akunna, who wins a visa lottery and moves to America carrying the hopes and expectations of everyone back home. But almost immediately, things begin to fall apart. The America she imagined and the America she finds are not the same.   One thing that stood out to me was Akunna's decision to walk away from an unpleasant situation even when she had no clear alternative. For me, that was the highlight of the story. ...
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Story 6: Jumping Monkey Hill

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"There wasn't a single monkey in sight, yet everyone at the workshop seemed to be jumping through hoops..." On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 6 titled Jumping Monkey Hill. You guyssssss, it's the way I want to scream, cry, and get angry all over again because damn it, this story has been my favourite so far. Maybe it's because one of my dreams is to attend a writing workshop. Maybe it's because I could almost share in the rage of the main character, Ujunwa. But nothing annoys me more than people who are not African trying to tell Africans what being African should look like. The story follows a group of writers from different African countries who are selected for a writing workshop outside Cape Town at a place called Jumping Monkey Hill. The workshop is organized by Edward, a white man who constantly talks about his love for African literature. The writers are expected to write st...
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Story 5: On Monday of Last Week

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On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 5 titled On Monday of Last Week. This story was a quiet one, but it left me thinking. It follows Kamara, who recently moved to America to reunite with her husband after six years apart. Only, when she finally gets there, things don't quite feel the way she imagined. While waiting for her green card, she takes up a babysitting job and meets Josh, an adorable four year old, his overly anxious father Neil, and Tracy, Josh's artist mother. Now, Tracy fascinated me. The first time she really spoke to Kamara, it was with so much warmth and attention that Kamara couldn't help but feel special. And honestly, I understood it. There are some people who make you feel seen in a way you haven't felt in a long time. As the story went on, I found myself wondering if Kamara's feelings toward Tracy were admiration, a crush, or a little bit of both. Then came the moment t...
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Story 4: Ghosts

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On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 4 titled Ghosts. I won't lie, this story confused me at first. Going in, I thought I was about to read something supernatural. The title certainly didn't help sef, for a while, I kept wondering if the narrator was hallucinating or imagining things. But the more I read, the more I realized that this isn't really a ghost story. The story follows a retired professor reflecting on his life during and after the Biafran War. He has lost his daughter, he has lost his wife, he has watched his country, his university, and even old friendships change beyond recognition. Then one day, he encounters Professor Ikenna, a colleague everyone had assumed died during the war, and that's where the story got interesting for me. Because the "ghost" isn't a ghost in the horror movie sense. It's the way the past keeps showing up when you think you've left it ...
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Story 3: A Private Experience

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On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 3 titled "A Private Experience". Wow. Just wow. This particular story felt so personal, like I was literally in that tiny dusty store with Chika and the woman. The story follows an experience Chika had when she and her sister, Nnedi, travelled to Kano to visit their aunt. A riot breaks out in the market, chaos erupts, people start running, and in the confusion, Chika loses her sister. Luckily, she encounters a kind Hausa Muslim woman who takes her somewhere safe. What follows is my favourite part of the story. In that tiny store, two strangers from completely different backgrounds spend the night together worrying about the people they love. Chika is worried about Nnedi. The woman is worried about her daughter, Halima, who had gone out hawking earlier that day. There was something beautiful about the bond that formed between them. Just two women sharin...
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