'The unforgettable story of a community on the wrong end of Western greed, How Beautiful We Were will enthral you, appal you and show you what is possible when a few people stand up and say this is not right. A masterful novel by a spellbinding writer engaged with the most urgent questions of our day'
DAVID EBERSHOFF, New York Times bestselling author of THE DANISH GIRL

'Imbolo Mbue would be a formidable storyteller anywhere, in any language. It’s our good luck that she and her stories are American'
JONATHAN FRANZEN

'How Beautiful We Were goes to the heart of one of the most urgent matters of the day. The highly suspenseful story of an African village’s struggle for survival and justice in the face of ruthless American corporate greed is written with remarkable acuity and compassion. Mbue has given us a book with the richness and power of a great contemporary fable, and a heroine for our time'
SIGRID NUNEZ, author of THE FRIEND, winner of the National Book Award

'Imbolo Mbue is a breathtaking talent'
CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE, New York Times bestselling author of ORPHAN TRAIN

'Who is this Imbolo Mbue and where has she been hiding? Her writing is startlingly beautiful, thoughtful, and both timely and timeless'
JACQUELINE WOODSON, National Book Award-winning author of RED AT BONE

'Mbue is a bright and captivating storyteller'
Washington Post

'Imbolo Mbue is a storyteller of astonishing gifts, which she uses in her second novel to lead us deep into the lives of a village decimated by environmental devastation and corporate greed. How Beautiful We Were reminds me of how interconnected we remain, no matter who or where we are'
TRACY K. SMITH, author of LIFE ON MARS, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

'Among the many virtues of Mbue’s novel is the way it uses an ecological nightmare to frame a vivid and stirring picture of human beings’ asserting their value to the world, whether the world cares about them or not. One can both grieve for Kosawa and be inspired by its determined fight for life'
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)