The Thing Around Your Neck May 2026

Her uncle, who initially seems supportive, sexually assaults her, telling her that "America was give-and-take". Traumatized and unwilling to stay, she flees to Connecticut without telling anyone where she is going.

Akunna wins the "American visa lottery" and moves from Nigeria to Maine to live with her uncle. She quickly realizes that the America she expected—one of abundance and ease—does not match the reality of her struggle. The Thing Around Your Neck

is the title story of a collection by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie , first published in 2009. Told in the second person ("you"), the story follows a young Nigerian woman named Akunna as she navigates the disillusionment of the "American Dream" . Plot Summary Her uncle, who initially seems supportive, sexually assaults