Winfrey selects novel by Mbue

Oprah Winfrey has selected Imbolo Mbue’s “Behold the Dreamers,” a novel about an immigrant family in New York whose lives are rocked by the 2008 recession, as the new pick for her book club, she announced Monday. Winfrey made the announcement on social media and on “CBS This Morning.”

In a video that she posted to Facebook and Twitter, Winfrey raved about Mbue’s critically acclaimed debut novel.

“It’s a book to read right now,” she said. “It’s got everything that’s grabbing the headlines in America right now. It’s about race and class, the economy, culture, immigration and the danger of the ‘us versus them’ mentality.”

The book follows Jende and Nina Jonga, a married couple from Cameroon who have immigrated to New York with their young son. Jende finds work as a chauffeur for a Lehman Bros. executive; when the firm goes bankrupt during the 2008 financial collapse, he’s forced to deal with the effect the collapse has on his family.

Winfrey’s literary endorsements have long been sought after by publishers eager for the instant sales boosts her book club picks typically get. Her selections usually become bestsellers after the media mogul gives them her imprimatur.