Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, secures a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, an executive at Lehman Brothers. Jende’s wife, Neni, eventually finds work as a nanny for the Edwards family at their Hamptons estate. The story tracks the economic gap between the two families during the 2008 financial crisis. As the global economy collapses and the firm faces bankruptcy, Clark’s professional life unravels, while the Jongas face legal instability regarding their visa status and asylum application.
Readers interested in the logistics of the immigration process and the precariousness of domestic labor will find a detailed account of class friction. The book serves those looking for a narrative about how institutional failures impact private households across different social strata. You walk away with a specific understanding of how corporate instability influences federal immigration enforcement and the reality of the American dream when faced with legal and financial barriers.
Inward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2016
- Language
- EN
