What Napoleon Could Not Do

<b>One of Vulture&#146;s Best Books of 2023 (So Far)<br> One of Goodreads&#146; Buzziest Debut Novels of 2023 <br> One of Essence&#146;s 31 Books You Must Read This Year <br> One of Esquire&#146;s Best Books of Winter 2023 <br> One of TIME&#146;s 12 Best Books of February 2023 <br> One of the most anticipated books by Town &amp; Country Elle and Vulture<br><br>America is seen through the eyes and ambitions of three characters with ties to Africa in this gripping novel</b><br><br> When siblings Jacob and Belinda Nti were growing up in Ghana their goal was simple: to move to America. For them the United States was both an opportunity and a struggle a goal and an obstacle.<br> &#160;<br> Jacob an awkward computer programmer who still lives with his father wants a visa so he can move to Virginia to live with his wife&#151;a request that the U.S. government has repeatedly denied. He envies his sister Belinda who achieved as their father put it &#147;what Napoleon could not do&#148;: she went to college and law school in the United States and even managed to marry Wilder a wealthy Black businessman from Texas. Wilder&#146;s view of America differs markedly from his wife&#146;s as he&#146;s spent his life railing against the racism and marginalization that are part of life for every African American living here.<br> &#160;<br> For these three their desires and ambitions highlight the promise and the disappointment that life in a new country offers. How each character comes to understand this and how each learns from both their dashed hopes and their fulfilled dreams lie at the heart of what makes <i>What Napoleon Could Not Do</i> such a compelling insightful read.