Super Short Summary

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue follows the struggle of a fictional African village, Kosawa, against the environmental and social exploitation by an American oil company, Pexton, and the complicity of their own government. Through multiple narrators, including Thula Nangi and her family, the novel explores themes of colonialism, resistance, and the fight for justice amidst catastrophic ecological destruction and political corruption. This novel includes discussion, but not description, of child sexual abuse, sexual assault, forced pregnancy, and prejudice against individuals with mental illnesses.