NPR's Book of the Day

'What Napoleon Could Not Do' occupies the space between African and American identity


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There are three central characters in DK Nnuro's new novel, What Napoleon Could Not Do. Belinda and Jacob are Ghanaian siblings who aspire to move to America and be accepted into the opportunities offered there. On the contrary, Wilder – Belinda's American husband, a Black Texan – has a completely different view of his home country and its treatment towards people like him. In today's episode, Nnuro tells NPR's Scott Simon about how he hoped to capture the tension between African and American identity, and why he thinks there should be more of an ellipsis than a dash between the two.

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