Imagine a world in which your home has been ravaged by warfare and rioting, and all sense of freedom seems lost but for a faint glimmer of hope on the sunlit waves of the ocean. Cunningham's new novel, The Last Raft, details the tensions of the massive exodus in which 100,000 Cubans emigrated to the United States by way of make-shift rafts- with 50,000 being detained in a makeshift tent city in Miami- where mounting civil unrest was caused by America’s political divide on how to hinder Fidel Castro’s regime.
The limited series Americanah, based on the novel of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, will no longer be going forward due to Lupita Nyong’o leaving the project.
Although this was a longtime project of Nyong’o’s, the oscar winner had to drop out due to scheduling issues.
The adaptation was slated for a ten-episode, straight-to series order on HBO Max last year. It had already been fully cast, but the outbreak of Coronavirus shut production down in March. These delays had jumbled the schedules of the stars involved, eventually leading to Nyong’o dropping out. Nyong’o was also going to produce while Black Panther co-star, Danai Gurira.
Image courtesy of deadline.com
Americanah tells the story of Ifemelu (who Lupita Nyong’o was set to star as), a confident and beautiful young woman from Nigeria who falls in love with a classmate named Obinze. To escape their military ruled country, they each turn to the west. Ifemelu goes to study in America and, while academically successful, grapples with race and identity for the first time. Obinze wants to reunite with her but, post 9/11, the United States are closed off to him. Instead, he is forced to pursue an undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, Nigeria is now democratically led and the two return. When they finally reunite, their passion is rekindled.
Uzo Aduba, Corey Hawkins, Zackary Momoh, and Tireni Oyenusi were also set to star in the adaptation.
As the final lazy days of summer fade into the first hints of fall, many of us turn with the leaves from the vibrant light beach read to the beautiful deeper colors of historical fiction.
LGBTQ+ superhero love interests, historical fiction, and dark mysteries. Whether you're into YA or not, you'll find something of interest in this week's picks.
