An ambitious striver, Jende Jonga is a native of Cameroon who works menial jobs to support himself and to bring his wife, Neni, and his son, Liomi, to America. Over the course of the novel, Jende goes from believing in the American Dream to a desperate desire to return home, despite Cameroon’s flaws.

Jende starts out life at the bottom in Cameroon, with the nadir of his experiences there occurring a decade and a half prior, when he was imprisoned for getting Neni pregnant while she was underage. The Jende we see at the start of the novel is hopeful, kind, and self-ingratiating. He has somewhat conservative ideas about gender but extends himself to support his wife in her dream of becoming a pharmacist.

Jende’s transformation from dreamer to pragmatist occurs when his request for asylum is denied. Complicating his immigration status is the loss of his job. Faced with back-breaking labor and worry about the progress of his case, Jende cracks. He beats Neni in a fit of rage and takes the proceeds of Neni’s blackmail of his former employer’s wife with few qualms. This infusion of cash allows Jende to fulfill his dreams, just not in America.