Abstract

This article analyses Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s most recent novel, Americanah (2013), which brings to the fore the complex issues faced by female migrants in a globalized world. Given the centrality of digital platforms in Americanah and their impact and ubiquity in modern societies, the essay examines cyberspace as a tool for identity formation, specifically of Ifemelu, the novel’s Nigerian female protagonist, and as a platform that enhances transnational solidarity by offering female migrants the opportunity to be heard and gain agency. By examining different forms of social discrimination Ifemelu encounters during her long stay in America, and the agency she gains by setting up a blog to openly express her views and those of her readers, my analysis shows the importance of an intersectional approach for understanding and encompassing the multidimensionality of women’s experiences in today’s interconnected world. The article concludes that Americanah is a representative example of transmodern fiction that captures both the challenges and the opportunities created by the mobility, transnational and transcultural reality of our times.