The Thing Around Your Neck is a collection of twelve individual short stories. Though the stories do not share any of the same characters or plot, they are woven together by their common themes.
“Cell One” follows the story of a Nigerian boy named Nnamabia. Told from his sister's point of view, the story highlights the corrupt Nigerian justice system. Although Nnamabia is mistreated while imprisoned, his parents are able to bribe the police in order for him to receive preferential treatment. The narrator grows increasingly frustrated at her brother's male privilege, and she retaliates against her parents for showing favoritism towards her guilty brother. The prison experience is incredibly formative for Nnamabia. Though he once relied on his charm, masculinity, and social class advantages, his privileged worldview changes forever.
"Imitation" is set in the suburbs of Philadelphia. The protagonist, Nkem, must grapple with the hardships of immigrating to the United States from Nigeria. Nkem's husband, Obiora, only visits Nkem and their children for two months every year. When Nkem hears that Obiora has a new girlfriend in Nigeria, she must learn to set limits and advocate for herself in her marriage.
“A Private Experience” tells the story of a woman named Chika and an unnamed Hausa woman after a riot over religious differences breaks out in Kano, Nigeria. The Hausa woman offers Chika shelter in her store, and the women's religious and class differences become evident. Despite the religious and ethnic turmoil that aims to divide them, the two women from different backgrounds demonstrate sympathy and understanding toward each other.
"Ghosts" chronicles the aging process of professor James Nwoye. James is startled when he runs into Ikenna Okaro, a colleague who he previously believed had died years ago, on the Nsukka campus. The two discuss what has happened to them in their years apart. Ikenna explains how he suffered during the country's political revolution, and why he fled to Sweden. James tells Ikenna that although his wife, Ebere, has been dead for many years, her ghost visits him often and massages lotion into his skin.
In "On Monday of Last Week," narrator Kamara joins her husband, Tobechi, in Philadelphia after living in Nigeria. Kamara has a difficult time adjusting to life in the United States, and she finds that her relationship with Tobechi is not as strong as she thought it was. In order to support herself while waiting for her green card, she gets hired as a nanny for a biracial family. Neil, the child's Jewish father, is neurotic and obsessive about his young son, Josh. Kamara becomes intrigued by Josh's elusive mother, Tracy, a painter who spends her time working in the basement. After Tracy expresses her desire to paint Kamara nude, Kamara becomes obsessed with and attracted to her.
"Jumping Monkey Hill" follows Ujunwa, a young Nigerian writer, as she attends a writing workshop at Jumping Monkey Hill. The writer's retreat is sponsored by Edward Campbell, a British scholar who clearly fetishizes African culture. Each writer chosen for the retreat represents their home nation. Ujunwa grows frustrated at Edward's attitude and judgment. After Ujunwa workshops her short story about a woman working at a bank, Edward critiques her plot for being "implausible." This prompts Ujunwa to retaliate against Edward's problematic behavior.
“The Thing Around Your Neck” is told from the second-person perspective. The female narrator, Akunna, wins the American visa lottery and moves from Nigeria to Maine. Akunna has a difficult adjustment to rural American life. One evening, her uncle sexually assaults her, and she leaves on a one-way bus ticket to Connecticut. There, she works as a waitress and struggles to make ends meet. One day, a young white man comes to the restaurant. He has traveled to Africa before, and he shows that he is interested in Akunna's life and background. Akunna and the boy begin to date, but she realizes the differences between herself and the boy. Although he is somewhat knowledgeable about non-Western countries, he romanticizes the lives of poor, foreign populations. Akunna realizes that he is blindingly oblivious about his privilege. Akunna receives a letter from her family notifying her that her father has passed away. She flies back to Nigeria, and it is unsure whether she will return to America or to her relationship.
"The American Embassy" chronicles the story of an unnamed narrator who visits the American embassy in Nigeria in hopes of receiving an asylum visa. The narrator is still reeling from the death of her four-year-old son, Ugonna, who was killed by government officials earlier in the week. The narrator's husband, a reporter, published a controversial article that angered the government. As a result, her husband fled the country and the officials killed their son instead. People advise the narrator to speak about the brutality of Ugonna's death so that she can be granted the asylum visa. However, during her embassy interview, the narrator realizes that she would rather stay in Nigeria and plant flowers on Ugonna's grave. She decides not to "use" his death to flee the country.
"The Shivering" takes place in Princeton, New Jersey. After hearing about a deadly plane crash in Nigeria, Ukamaka worries about the well-being of her ex-boyfriend, Udenna. She hears a knock on the door, and she is greeted by Chinedu, another Nigerian man who lives in her building. Ukamaka hears that Udenna is safe, but the two fail to reignite contact. Chinedu and Ukumaka become friends, and Ukumaka finds that she can speak at lengths to Chinedu about her breakup and he is receptive. Chinedu reveals that he had a boyfriend in Nigeria. One day, the two friends have a fight about Ukumaka's selfish behavior. They go for weeks without speaking, until Ukumaka knocks on Chinedu's door. Chinedu reveals that he is not a graduate student at Princeton, but rather he is hiding from the government because his visa expired. Ukumaka and Chinedu go to mass together, and Ukumaka vows to help Chinedu through his hardships.
"The Arrangers of Marriage" follows a new wife as she moves to New York City with her husband. The two have an arranged marriage. Following the move, she realizes that her husband does not accept her Nigerian identity. With the help of a new friend in the building, Chinaza learns to stand up for herself.
“Tomorrow Is Too Far” follows the story of a young woman as she reminisces about a summer she spent in Nigeria eighteen years ago. As children, she and her brother would go to visit her father's mother, “Grandmama,” in Nigeria every summer. They pass time with their cousin, Dozie, whom the narrator also has a crush on. The narrator is often made to feel inferior to her older brother by her parents and Grandmama. Grandmama especially favors the narrator's brother, since he will carry on the family name. The narrator is overcome with feelings of jealousy, and she wants to be given attention from her family. One afternoon, she challenges her brother to climb one of the fruit trees in her grandmother's backyard. She then startles him, causing him to slip and fall to his death. She never intended for her brother to die, and the event causes her to retreat from her family. Her parents divorce, and she doesn’t visit Nigeria or see Dozie again until eighteen years later.
"The Headstrong Historian" is a story about the life of a woman named Nwambga whose husband was killed by his cousins. She is desperate to change the course of her life, and she sends her son to Catholic school to avoid any problems with her family. Her son ends up rejecting his mother's traditional Nigerian customs, which deeply hurts Nwambga. Years later, her son has a daughter named Grace. Nwambga realizes that Grace carries the spirit of her husband, and she encourages Grace to embrace traditional Nigerian culture. Grace attends college and publishes books about Nigerian history. At the end of the story, Grace changes her name to Afemefuna, the Nigerian name given to her by her grandmother.
