There are no earth shattering ideas put forth here, but Adichie’s voice is a valuable contribution to the same old same old. She gives examples from her native Nigerian culture, both older and contemporary and also gives the enlightening perspective of an immigrant to the US. Immigrants are often able to view social issues from a more distant and inquisitive perspective. (Full disclosure: I emigrated from the US to Sweden.) The essay includes several personal narratives, which hold the reader’s interest and keep the piece from becoming too clinical.
Audio review: Adichie reads the essay herself with a calm, but animated voice. Her reading is measured and precise, possibly to make her accent easier for Americans to understand. The recording is 45 minutes long.