Why I am Excited to Recommend This:
Intergenerational trauma is an interesting topic whereby It is believed that trauma experienced by an ancestor might alter the genes, and get passed down to subsequent generations. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is about epigenetics (the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work), spans generations and is based on the first Chinese woman to come to the United States. It was chosen as the Read With Jenna August pick and will be adapted for tv.
My Review:
Dorothy Moy, a poet from Washington was having strange memories that clearly were not her own and to understand what was going on in her mind she goes for therapy where the doctor specializes in retrieving lost memories. In her sessions she is exposed to past trauma where she envisions many of her ancestors during different periods of history; Fay Moy, a nurse, Zoe Moy a student, Lai King Moy living during an epidemic, Greta Moy a woman with a dating app, and Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman in America.
The idea that Dorothy Moy’s ancestors, people she never knew, were the root to her unusual memories was a lot to grasp. Going back and forth in history and tying together the lives of multiple characters also was a bit overwhelming for me at times, but I enjoyed each individual woman and their stories. With the unique concept of epigenetics combined with actual history, skilled storytelling and compelling characters, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is enjoyable and thought provoking.
About the Author:
Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and went on to win the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Jamie’s work has been published in 34 languages. Also, because Jamie feels weird writing about himself in the 3rd person, he’s going to say…
Hi, this is me.
Not a publicist. Not some weird aggregated bit of web-content, just little ol’ me, the author, sitting here in my favorite Batman pajamas (yes, I have several pairs) writing this note in my cozy home office, dog at my feet. Her name is Lucy and she’s twitching right now, obviously chasing squirrels in her dreams.
While we’re chatting, I should mention that my latest novel novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, is now available for purchase 🙂
If you’re looking for more things that have spilled out of my brain, I have steampunk storiess in The End is Nigh, The End is Now, and The End Has Come (The Apocalypse Triptych). Also a tale in Stories from Suffragette City.
Lest I forget, I have a story in Anonymous Sex, but I’m not allowed to say which story is mine.
