Amina Gautier (’13) Reviews MR. AND MRS. DOCTOR

A New Novel by Julie Iromuanya

“Everyone had done it, he supposed. To some degree, they had all told their little lies.” These are not the opening lines of Julie Iromuanya’s striking debut novel Mr. and Mrs. Doctor, but they may as well be. They are the thoughts of Job Ogbannaya, the protagonist. Job’s approach to lying reflects his pursuit of the American Dream. Like many others, he has come to America to “make it.” But Iromuanya’s book asks, what happens if you can’t make it? What happens if your new country swallows you whole and threatens to keep your dreams from coming to fruition? What then? Do you return to your native land? Do you simply work longer and harder? Or do you lie about not having made it and pretend everything is all right? Instead of doggedly pursuing his dreams of becoming a wealthy doctor, Job opts to pretend that he already is one, until his lies grow too big to untangle.

 

Read the rest of the review on THE RUMPUS:

http://therumpus.net/2015/06/mr-and-mrs-doctor-by-julie-iromuanya/