How Beautiful We Were Summary
Imbolo Mbue

How Beautiful We Were Overview

Written in an array of different points of view, all tribespeople of the fictional African village of Kosawa, Imbolo Mbue’s novel How Beautiful We Were tells the story of how an American oil company destroys the lives and lifestyles of the villagers. In a story that encompasses the years from 1980 to 2020 yet feels mythic and timeless, the narrative follows hero Thula as she grows up, earns an education in the United States, then returns to her unnamed African home country to start a revolution against the forces that end up destroying her village. Through it all Mbue, a native of Cameroon, weaves subtle themes about capitalism, colonialism and the White Savior, as well as the roles of women and the innocence of children.