The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
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- Create Date：2022-08-03 02:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Jamie Ford
- ISBN：1982158212
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Summary
The New York Times bestselling author of the “mesmerizing and evocative” （Sara Gruen， author of Water for Elephants） Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet returns with a powerful exploration of the love that binds one family across the generations。
Dorothy Moy breaks her own heart for a living。
As Washington’s former poet laureate， that’s how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art。 But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors， Dorothy believes the past has truly come to haunt her。 Fearing that her child is predestined to endure the same debilitating depression that has marked her own life， Dorothy seeks radical help。
Through an experimental treatment designed to mitigate inherited trauma， Dorothy intimately connects with past generations of women in her family: Faye Moy， a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers; Zoe Moy， a student in England at a famous school with no rules; Lai King Moy， a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic; Greta Moy， a tech executive with a unique dating app; and Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman to set foot in America。
As painful recollections affect her present life， Dorothy discovers that trauma isn’t the only thing she’s inherited。 A stranger is searching for her in each time period。 A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories。 Dorothy endeavors to break the cycle of pain and abandonment， to finally find peace for her daughter， and gain the love that has long been waiting， knowing she may pay the ultimate price。
Dorothy Moy breaks her own heart for a living。
As Washington’s former poet laureate， that’s how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art。 But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors， Dorothy believes the past has truly come to haunt her。 Fearing that her child is predestined to endure the same debilitating depression that has marked her own life， Dorothy seeks radical help。
Through an experimental treatment designed to mitigate inherited trauma， Dorothy intimately connects with past generations of women in her family: Faye Moy， a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers; Zoe Moy， a student in England at a famous school with no rules; Lai King Moy， a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic; Greta Moy， a tech executive with a unique dating app; and Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman to set foot in America。
As painful recollections affect her present life， Dorothy discovers that trauma isn’t the only thing she’s inherited。 A stranger is searching for her in each time period。 A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories。 Dorothy endeavors to break the cycle of pain and abandonment， to finally find peace for her daughter， and gain the love that has long been waiting， knowing she may pay the ultimate price。
Reviews
Crystal
，
Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is one of my all-time favorite books。 With that being said， when I found out @jamieford was releasing a new book I immediately requested it on Netgalley。 Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the eARC。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy starts off with Ford explaining where he wanted to go with this book。 Have you ever heard of epigenetics？ Yea， I hadn’t either。 Epigenetics is the idea that parents pass along certain proclivities based upon experiences Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is one of my all-time favorite books。 With that being said， when I found out @jamieford was releasing a new book I immediately requested it on Netgalley。 Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the eARC。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy starts off with Ford explaining where he wanted to go with this book。 Have you ever heard of epigenetics？ Yea， I hadn’t either。 Epigenetics is the idea that parents pass along certain proclivities based upon experiences in their own life。 Not genetics， actual experiences within their own lifetime。 For example， Holocaust survivors’ decedents tend to have a higher likelihood for PTSD， depression and anxiety。 This books starts off with a woman named Afong Moy （based upon a real woman） who is brought to America。 A side show where people would pay to see “The Chinese Lady” with bound feet。 Her life isn’t a pretty one and this book follows her generational line all the way down six more generations to Annabel。 There are times where this story is a little hard to follow。 For this reason， I highly recommend buddy reading this one or participating in a book club discussion。 I buddy read this book with @keepingyouonread and we both benefited from discussing certain aspects of the story。 Especially the ending。 If & when you read this book， please share your thoughts on the ending！Each generation has epigenetic trauma from the previous and that compounds with her own trauma experiences。 Dorothy is willing to do anything to keep this cycle from continuing on with her 5 year old daughter， Annabel。 I love Jamie Ford’s writing， you feel fully immersed in the story。 There’s only one book of his that I haven’t read， Love and Other Consolation Prizes…I need to remedy that soon！ In the meantime， happy publication day for The Many Daughters of Afong Moy！ I recommend this one even if I didn’t love it quite as much as Hotel in the Corner of Bitter and Sweet。 Still a solidly good read with a highly unique premise and exquisite writing。 。。。more
Jennifer Lara
，
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford is a story that spans generations and across time。 Dorothy Moy channels her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her poetry。 When her daughter， Annabel， begins to exhibit the same behaviors and starts to remember the lives of their ancestors， Dorothy decides to seek radical help。 Not wanting her daughter to suffer from the same depression she does， Dorothy agrees to an experimental treatment designed to weaken inherited trauma。 Thro The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford is a story that spans generations and across time。 Dorothy Moy channels her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her poetry。 When her daughter， Annabel， begins to exhibit the same behaviors and starts to remember the lives of their ancestors， Dorothy decides to seek radical help。 Not wanting her daughter to suffer from the same depression she does， Dorothy agrees to an experimental treatment designed to weaken inherited trauma。 Through this treatment， she connects with past generations of women in her family。 From Faye Moy， a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers， to Lai King Moy， a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic to Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman to set foot in America。 She also discovers that in each time period， someone is looking for her。 Someone who has loved her through her genetic memories。 Can she break the cycle of pain and find peace for herself and her daughter？ The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a very difficult book to read。 Jumping back and forth through time from 1836 to 2085 and five different points of view， the main theme of the story is the idea of epigenetics。 Epigenetics is the study of heritable phenotype changes that occur but do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence。 In simple terms， it is the study of how behaviors and environment change the way genes work。 Even simpler， it is trauma that is passed on like a physical trait。 I understand the concept but I feel that it is more family dynamics and behaviors are altered and then passed down rather than through DNA itself。 I’ve read other books that use this idea。 The jumping back and forth was confusing and disorientating。 There was very little opportunity to get an understanding of a character before it was off to another。 Overall， I did not enjoy The Many Daughters of Afong Moy even though the premise intrigued me。 I do not recommend The Many Daughters of Afong Moy。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is available in hardcover， eBook， and audiobook 。。。more
Laura Scheer
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3。5 rounded up。I am not even sure how to rate or review this one。 Chances are high I will come back and edit this review in time - I need to stew with it more。 This was not my first book by Ford， but very different （other than the historical nature） than the other I read - which I loved。 I was very drawn in to The Many Daughters of Afong Moy and read the first 1/4 very quickly。 It is the tale of many generations， spanning about 200 years， and the concept of generational trauma being passed in DN 3。5 rounded up。I am not even sure how to rate or review this one。 Chances are high I will come back and edit this review in time - I need to stew with it more。 This was not my first book by Ford， but very different （other than the historical nature） than the other I read - which I loved。 I was very drawn in to The Many Daughters of Afong Moy and read the first 1/4 very quickly。 It is the tale of many generations， spanning about 200 years， and the concept of generational trauma being passed in DNA。 While well written， the concept of epigenetics was so foreign to me， at times I had a hard time truly understanding what I was even reading。 It was a bit of work to keep the timelines and generations straight and thank goodness for that first page with the "Dramatis Personae" - my timeline cheat sheet。 :） I referred to it countless times。 We meet Afong Moy， a real historical person， believed to be the first Chinese woman to come to America。 We then learn of her fictional generational daughters along the way - who all， like her， experience great pain and suffering， as well as a desire to find great love。 As we jump through time， we meet Dorothy who struggles with her mental health and is determined to get better for the sake of her young daughter， Annabel。 She seeks experimental treatment wanting to break the cycle。 I can't really say more， you have to just dive in。 I did enjoy the book and learned a lot and it has given me much to think about。 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the early release copy in exchange for my honest review。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is now available。 。。。more
Teknikservis147
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https://www。hemenustabul。com https://www。hemenustabul。com 。。。more
Darla
，
A new epic novel from Jamie Ford spanning more than two centuries and beginning with Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman to set her bound foot on US soil。 Seven women tell their story in this novel which explores the phenomenon of epigenetic inheritance。 It took me a bit to settle in as the book hopscotches around through the various generations。 Then with the therapy treatment for Dorothy （2045）， her experiences cross generations。 My favorite was Faye， who was a nurse in the Pacific theater duri A new epic novel from Jamie Ford spanning more than two centuries and beginning with Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman to set her bound foot on US soil。 Seven women tell their story in this novel which explores the phenomenon of epigenetic inheritance。 It took me a bit to settle in as the book hopscotches around through the various generations。 Then with the therapy treatment for Dorothy （2045）， her experiences cross generations。 My favorite was Faye， who was a nurse in the Pacific theater during WW II。 This is my first time reading a Jamie Ford novel （although I do have the others on my TBR）。 There is no doubt that his writing has some secret sauce。 I am a fan。Thank you to Atria Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Debra
，
"It's okay to miss someone。 It means you loved them。"I have been a fan of Jamie Ford since reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet。 Now whenever I see he has a new book coming out， I get very excited。 Jamie Ford is such a talented and gifted writer。 In this book he looks at inherited trauma/multigenerational trauma。 This is a huge undertaking。 The book goes back and forth in time telling the stories of 7 women of previous generations。 The women are: Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman "It's okay to miss someone。 It means you loved them。"I have been a fan of Jamie Ford since reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet。 Now whenever I see he has a new book coming out， I get very excited。 Jamie Ford is such a talented and gifted writer。 In this book he looks at inherited trauma/multigenerational trauma。 This is a huge undertaking。 The book goes back and forth in time telling the stories of 7 women of previous generations。 The women are: Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman in America; Faye Moy， a nurse in China， Zoe Moy， a student in England; Lai King Moy， a girl quarantined in San Francisco during an epidemic; Greta Moy， an executive for a dating app， Dorothy a poet in 2045 and her daughter， Annabelle。 Ford also showcases how Chinese immigrants were treated when they came to the United States。Ford uses a creative concept as he tells the individual stories of inherited trauma and how they are connected。 Whew！ This was a lot for me to wrap my head around at times。 The story line is different from his other books。 Very different and while reading， I wasn't quite sure what to make of it。 What I can tell you is that his writing and passages are quite beautiful。 This was different but worthwhile。 "Strangers are the people we forgot we needed in this life。"3。5 starsThank you to Atria Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Angela Y （yangelareads）
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I received this book in exchange for an honest review。 ARC provided by Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books。Dorothy Moy breaks her own heart for a living。 As Washington’s former poet laureate， that’s how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art。 But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors， Dorothy believes the past has truly come to haunt her。 Fearing that her c I received this book in exchange for an honest review。 ARC provided by Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books。Dorothy Moy breaks her own heart for a living。 As Washington’s former poet laureate， that’s how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art。 But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors， Dorothy believes the past has truly come to haunt her。 Fearing that her child is predestined to endure the same debilitating depression that has marked her own life， Dorothy seeks radical help。Through an experimental treatment designed to mitigate inherited trauma， Dorothy intimately connects with past generations of women in her family: Faye Moy， Zoe Moy， Lai King Moy， Greta Moy; and Afong Moy。 As painful recollections affect her present life， Dorothy discovers that trauma isn’t the only thing she’s inherited。 A stranger is searching for her in each time period。 A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories。 Dorothy endeavors to break the cycle of pain and abandonment， to finally find peace for her daughter， and gain the love that has long been waiting， knowing she may pay the ultimate price。The idea that trauma can be passed down through generations actually works， but it was confusing in the manner of different POVs telling the story。 There are also problems with the storyline of a man looking for the character/family across generations。 Since the men aren't from a shared family line， how is this inherited？ I found that there was also a great deal of jumping back and forth with the seven generations and at times it was quite confusing。 This is a fictional story but I did find some parts of the novel a bit far fetched。 If the reader can tolerate the multiple changes in sequence and become immersed in the lives of the individual characters， this will most assuredly become an enjoyable novel。 Unfortunately this book was not for me， and I really struggled with finishing it。 。。。more
Tracy
，
The Many Daughters of Afong May by Jamie Ford is a unique novel with many unforgettable characters。 The plot spans the past and future with Afong May at its apex。 Afong May was abducted and brought to America where she is presented as a curious spectacle。 The year is 1836 and Afong is billed as the first Chinese woman to arrive in America。 The novel's chapters feature Afong and her female descendants。 Each woman has her own interesting story yet they all share some characterisitics。 Ford wonders The Many Daughters of Afong May by Jamie Ford is a unique novel with many unforgettable characters。 The plot spans the past and future with Afong May at its apex。 Afong May was abducted and brought to America where she is presented as a curious spectacle。 The year is 1836 and Afong is billed as the first Chinese woman to arrive in America。 The novel's chapters feature Afong and her female descendants。 Each woman has her own interesting story yet they all share some characterisitics。 Ford wonders if the contour and texture of our lives are shaped in part by a genetic pre-determination。 This is the link that connects Ford's characters and makes this novel very interesting and thought provoking。Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC。 。。。more
Sarah Kalis
，
One of the more unique and genre-bending novels I’ve come across in quite some time。 The speculative fiction quality mixed with more standard historical fiction sections kept me on my toes。 While the barrage of generational trauma was hard to stomach， it wasn’t egregious in the context of the story。 In fact， I found the male author’s ability to authentically capture the female experience very impressive。 Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for the ARC。
Andrea
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Afong Moy is the first Chinese woman in mainland U。S。 in the 1800s。 What follows are a variety of pathways her future generations take， and how trauma shapes their lives。Ford's take on epigenetic inheritance was thoughtful and thought-provoking as a read。 For readers of historical fiction， stick with it as the story comes together and leaves you pondering about how your ancestors shape your life。Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC。 Afong Moy is the first Chinese woman in mainland U。S。 in the 1800s。 What follows are a variety of pathways her future generations take， and how trauma shapes their lives。Ford's take on epigenetic inheritance was thoughtful and thought-provoking as a read。 For readers of historical fiction， stick with it as the story comes together and leaves you pondering about how your ancestors shape your life。Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC。 。。。more
Sue
，
Author of such other books as Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Songs of Willow Frost， Jamie Ford’s latest novel， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， is dedicated to “anyone with a complicated origin story。” It depicts seven generations of women in a family， beginning with Afong Moy， believed to be the first Chinese woman in the United States， and continuing into 2086。 Ford divides the book into three acts， much like a play， and an epilogue。 Each act consists of three to ten chapters from Author of such other books as Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Songs of Willow Frost， Jamie Ford’s latest novel， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， is dedicated to “anyone with a complicated origin story。” It depicts seven generations of women in a family， beginning with Afong Moy， believed to be the first Chinese woman in the United States， and continuing into 2086。 Ford divides the book into three acts， much like a play， and an epilogue。 Each act consists of three to ten chapters from varying points of view， acquainting readers with a Moy family woman from each of the seven generations。 To avoid confusion， Ford includes a Dramatis Personae list before Act I， again as in a play。 Readers can easily turn to it to see the seven women listed in order by generation。 Completing the caste of characters are Lai King Moy， Afong Moy’s daughter， sent back to China following a San Francisco plague; Lai King’s daughter Fei-Jin “Faye” Moy， who becomes a nurse and falls in love with a dying American Flying Tiger in Kunming， China， during Japan’s war with China; Faye’s daughter Zoe， who attends an unorthodox “rule free” British boarding school; Zoe’s daughter Greta， a computer program developer， who achieves overnight fame; Greta’s daughter Dorothy， a one-time U。S。 poet laureate; and Dorothy’s five-year-old daughter Annabel， whose name was inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee。”Ford’s opening epigraphs， Author’s Note， and closing Acknowledgments are essential reading。 Opening with quotes from Charles Dickens and Henry David Thoreau， and the philosophical idea of karma， he sets the scene for the story of a family in which earlier generations pass down their experienced trauma to succeeding generations， based on the psychological theory of epigenetics。 When Dorothy， the sixth generation and a former poet laureate， begins to see clues that her five-year-daughter Annabel may have inherited the problems that have plagued her own life and that of older generations， she determines to bring an end to the genetic cycle。 Ford’s experiences with his son Taylor interested him in this topic and are explained in his Author’s Note along with a brief biography of the real woman who went by the name Afong Moy。 His Acknowledgments bring out interesting research details that made me realize how many other elements in the novel have historic roots。Like in any good drama， Act III， is a doozy， but it is not quite the last word。 The epilogue， set in 2086， is the only section told from Annabel’s point of view。 The five-year-old from her mother Dorothy’s earlier sections， now in her forties， completes this riveting novel by Jamie Ford。Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reader copy。 。。。more
Andrea Johnson
，
4。5 stars。 In this multigenerational novel， Mr Ford explores epigenetics ， the idea that traumas can be passed through the generations like personality traits。 The daughters descending from from Afong Moy， who was the first Chinese woman in America， are traced in this story， although the main character is Dorothy in 2045 who is looking to stop the progression of depression she doesn’t want her daughter to live with。 I found the characters interesting and love how the story unfolds。 Thanks to Net 4。5 stars。 In this multigenerational novel， Mr Ford explores epigenetics ， the idea that traumas can be passed through the generations like personality traits。 The daughters descending from from Afong Moy， who was the first Chinese woman in America， are traced in this story， although the main character is Dorothy in 2045 who is looking to stop the progression of depression she doesn’t want her daughter to live with。 I found the characters interesting and love how the story unfolds。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc。 。。。more
maryreadstoomuch
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Thank you Atria Books for my ARC！Pub date 8/2/22Genre: family saga， interconnected storiesIn one sentence: Dorothy Moy uses an experimental technique to connect with the past generations of women in her family， including Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman in America。This book bewildered me - but in a good way！ Author Jamie Ford throws the reader in head-first with little context， and it took me a while to get into the individual stories and see the connections。 But I loved the last 20%， and I'm Thank you Atria Books for my ARC！Pub date 8/2/22Genre: family saga， interconnected storiesIn one sentence: Dorothy Moy uses an experimental technique to connect with the past generations of women in her family， including Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman in America。This book bewildered me - but in a good way！ Author Jamie Ford throws the reader in head-first with little context， and it took me a while to get into the individual stories and see the connections。 But I loved the last 20%， and I'm still thinking about this book a week after reading it。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is in my top favorite books so I leapt at the reading Ford’s new book， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy。 Following Afong Moy， a real person and the first Chinese woman in the United States and her fictional relatives over the course of centuries， Ford tackles generational trauma， soulmates and what binds us。 What I liked: The concept that generational trauma affects a person’s DNA and future generations was interesting。 And that we are drawn to people based Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is in my top favorite books so I leapt at the reading Ford’s new book， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy。 Following Afong Moy， a real person and the first Chinese woman in the United States and her fictional relatives over the course of centuries， Ford tackles generational trauma， soulmates and what binds us。 What I liked: The concept that generational trauma affects a person’s DNA and future generations was interesting。 And that we are drawn to people based on our souls recognizing them。 Ford is a good storyteller。 I like how he weaves real events into fiction。 Afong’s story is tragic and hers and her ancestors show how women and minorities were/are treated as other and property。 What didn’t work for me: I found the storyline a bit confusing and too sci-fi for me。 Towards the end， I wasn’t sure if what was happening was real or a dream。 Who should read it: You have your family tree mapped out and like historical fiction with a dash of sci-fi。 。。。more
Kacey/Kris
，
This was a very interesting book。 I love the different years and different perspectives。 The generational stories and the connections are touching。 Each having their own victories and struggles。 Highly recommend。
Lisa
，
I am a big fan of Jamie Ford， this book is different than the others I've read。 This was an interesting read。 This book tells the story of 7 generations across different periods in time。 I was wondering how the characters would be pulled together and enjoyed how the book ended。 I've heard traumas can pass down generations and have been curious about the study of epigenetics。 3。5 stars for me。 I am a big fan of Jamie Ford， this book is different than the others I've read。 This was an interesting read。 This book tells the story of 7 generations across different periods in time。 I was wondering how the characters would be pulled together and enjoyed how the book ended。 I've heard traumas can pass down generations and have been curious about the study of epigenetics。 3。5 stars for me。 。。。more
Drea
，
Beautifully-written。 Told by different POVs by chapters， cumulative generational trauma is the thread linking each woman together。 Don’t skip the author’s forward as he describes his curiosity of epigenetics that motivated him to research and write this book。 Fascinating！ I found the women’s stories compelling and sad but with a strength behind each woman that was kind of breathtaking。 Heartfelt thanks to Atria for the advanced copy。
Dorothy Schwab
，
Jamie Ford transports readers across continents and centuries with an epic saga of the descendants of Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman to step foot in America。 With the artful and masterful skill readers of Jamie Ford have come to love and appreciate each of the ‘many daughters” shares her own life story， how she bears inherited trauma and its effects on family and social relationships。 The narrative encompasses social and economical mores， racially acceptable and unacceptable behaviors， and h Jamie Ford transports readers across continents and centuries with an epic saga of the descendants of Afong Moy， the first Chinese woman to step foot in America。 With the artful and masterful skill readers of Jamie Ford have come to love and appreciate each of the ‘many daughters” shares her own life story， how she bears inherited trauma and its effects on family and social relationships。 The narrative encompasses social and economical mores， racially acceptable and unacceptable behaviors， and historical events impacting the daughters’ lives spanning the 19th-21st centuries。 Generationally inherited trauma becomes very real when main character Dorothy Moy’s 5-year-old daughter， Annabel begins to recall details from ancestors’ lives。 Now Dorothy fears Annabel also has inherited trauma， so hoping to find a way to cure her daughter， seeks an unproven treatment for herself from Dr。 Shedhorn。 The doctor’s analogy of inherited trauma being like a perennial plant: “A part of us comes back each new season， carrying a bit of the previous floret，” helps clarifiy transgenerational epigenetic inheritance。 A novel to enlighten and heighten readers’ understanding of being different， feeling unworthy， and “otherness。” 。。。more
Nicoletta
，
The premise of the book is interesting: we inherit not only physical traits （eye color etc。） but past trauma too。 I finished the novel， and it was a bit of chore; the style is beautiful and， for this reason， I kept reading it but the story is a little too depressing。 I was happy when I finished it and I loved the ends so hopeful。 Final thought: I would read it again？ No， as I said it is beautifully written but I see this story more as science fiction and it is not my favorite genre。 Thanks to Ne The premise of the book is interesting: we inherit not only physical traits （eye color etc。） but past trauma too。 I finished the novel， and it was a bit of chore; the style is beautiful and， for this reason， I kept reading it but the story is a little too depressing。 I was happy when I finished it and I loved the ends so hopeful。 Final thought: I would read it again？ No， as I said it is beautifully written but I see this story more as science fiction and it is not my favorite genre。 Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC。 。。。more
Ashley
，
As a long time fan of Jamie Ford， I was very excited to see this new historical fiction was coming out。 Ford explores the life and descendants of Afong Moy， the first known female Chinese immigrant in the United States。 The novel moves between past centuries and future decades as the reader explores the epigenetic inheritances that are passed down from one generation of female Moys to the next。 The main narrator， Dorothy， is living in 2045 with her daughter Annabel and is dealing with dissociati As a long time fan of Jamie Ford， I was very excited to see this new historical fiction was coming out。 Ford explores the life and descendants of Afong Moy， the first known female Chinese immigrant in the United States。 The novel moves between past centuries and future decades as the reader explores the epigenetic inheritances that are passed down from one generation of female Moys to the next。 The main narrator， Dorothy， is living in 2045 with her daughter Annabel and is dealing with dissociative episodes that she does not understand。 After seeking treatment from an indigenous doctor， she starts to understand the connections that her mind has tried to make throughout her life。 As she falls deeper into the past， she needs to decide what path to take forward to ensure her daughter does not experience the same painful memories and associations that she has。 I really enjoyed this novel even though it was a different premise than what I have come to expect from Ford。 The only reason that I did not give this 10/10 is that at times I struggled to remember the sequence of ancestry and how all of the female Moys were related。 。。。more
Sandra The Old Woman in a Van
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Jamie Ford's new novel， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， is extraordinary - and unique。 I want to make sure the right readers find this genre-busting novel。Ford's most famous novel， On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet， is straight historical fiction。 Afong Moy is not。 The story perfectly blends a multigenerational family saga， melded with futuristic science and a dash of added dystopia。 Readers need to expect and enjoy a bit of speculative and futuristic elements。Ford uses fiction to paint a vivid Jamie Ford's new novel， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， is extraordinary - and unique。 I want to make sure the right readers find this genre-busting novel。Ford's most famous novel， On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet， is straight historical fiction。 Afong Moy is not。 The story perfectly blends a multigenerational family saga， melded with futuristic science and a dash of added dystopia。 Readers need to expect and enjoy a bit of speculative and futuristic elements。Ford uses fiction to paint a vivid example of how inherited trauma may manifest。 I've read about epigenetics but found the concept hard to conceptualize （and I'm a scientist）， so I appreciated reading the author's take on the phenomenon。 I'll be reflecting on Ford's narrative for a long time - and what is a better complement to a book than this？I recommend reading the acknowledgment section of the book before you begin。 In this case， understanding more of the author's motivations and background may help the reader get into the book。 There are many characters and alternating timelines， so you may want to keep a note card as a bookmark to remind you of who's who。 I read an ebook version and had to search character names a few times。 Finally， this is an excellent book club pick and a book you may find yourself rereading。Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook version in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Debra
，
Dorothy Moy is a poet laureate。 Her poetry flows out of her "episodes，" which her husband is sure are mental health deficiencies。 But when her daughter starts to have the same experiences， Dorothy seeks treatment and begins to meet some of her ancestors--fierce women， all。 Their experiences， adventures， joys， traumas， and lives all culminate in Dorothy and her daughter。 And all along this journey， someone is looking for Dorothy。。。but why？This was a journey full of metaphors， and what-ifs， and co Dorothy Moy is a poet laureate。 Her poetry flows out of her "episodes，" which her husband is sure are mental health deficiencies。 But when her daughter starts to have the same experiences， Dorothy seeks treatment and begins to meet some of her ancestors--fierce women， all。 Their experiences， adventures， joys， traumas， and lives all culminate in Dorothy and her daughter。 And all along this journey， someone is looking for Dorothy。。。but why？This was a journey full of metaphors， and what-ifs， and could-bes， and longing。 Of generational trauma and deja vu。 So much of it is so very real， and the rest very well could be。 How much are we affected by the legacy and experiences of our ancestors， either through DNA or through generational nurture？ What happens when trauma informs our identity， either consciously or unconsciously？ And what forms can healing and resolution take？ I found myself pondering themes along these lines both during the story and long after I was done reading。 I can see how it would be triggering in a good way for some， and in a bad way for others， so approach with caution oh ye sensitive reader。 The universality of the themes is a testament to the excellence of the storytelling。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley and the publisher。 All views expressed are my honest opinion。 。。。more
Michelle Herzing
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The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is destined to be one of the most talked about books of August 2022。 It is a beautifully written， totally unique twist on a time traveling， multigenerational tale。 When Poet Laureate Dorothy Moy starts seeing her daughter exhibiting signs of the dissociative behavior and mental health struggles that have plagued her along with recurring memories of her ancestors， she seeks help from an experimental therapy that will help her deal with the inherited trauma of the w The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is destined to be one of the most talked about books of August 2022。 It is a beautifully written， totally unique twist on a time traveling， multigenerational tale。 When Poet Laureate Dorothy Moy starts seeing her daughter exhibiting signs of the dissociative behavior and mental health struggles that have plagued her along with recurring memories of her ancestors， she seeks help from an experimental therapy that will help her deal with the inherited trauma of the women in her family tree。 The very different experiences of the women in various time periods were helpful in keeping track of the multiple storylines， which could have been a frustrating challenge。 I did not find it difficult to shift from time periods， although my curiosity about how this book was possibly going to be wrapped up kept me reading impatiently！ The book really makes you think about how our ancestors' experiences might influence our own。 I am sure the next time I meet someone and feel that instant of connection/recognition， Jamie Ford's novel will certainly come to mind。 Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Leah
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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。My brain kind of hurts after this one， but not in a bad way。This novel spans 7 generations and centers around the theory of epigenetics （the study of inheriting trauma/memories/etc。 through DNA）。 I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and Ford's writing style is truly mesmerizing。The science of it all and keeping track of where we were and who we were with in the timeline was a little over my head。 The id I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。My brain kind of hurts after this one， but not in a bad way。This novel spans 7 generations and centers around the theory of epigenetics （the study of inheriting trauma/memories/etc。 through DNA）。 I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and Ford's writing style is truly mesmerizing。The science of it all and keeping track of where we were and who we were with in the timeline was a little over my head。 The idea is fascinating， but I couldn't follow it completely。 。。。more
Kc1morepage
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I love Jamie Ford’s writing style， so I was very excited to read his latest。 I had to mull over this one for a bit to organize my thoughts。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy has an interesting premise。 It explores the idea of generational trauma as a genetic inherited trait。 If that sounds crazy， there actually is some science behind this idea。Dorothy， a woman living in the 2040’s， suffers from some mental health issues。 The book flashes back in chapters to some of her female ancestors and their t I love Jamie Ford’s writing style， so I was very excited to read his latest。 I had to mull over this one for a bit to organize my thoughts。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy has an interesting premise。 It explores the idea of generational trauma as a genetic inherited trait。 If that sounds crazy， there actually is some science behind this idea。Dorothy， a woman living in the 2040’s， suffers from some mental health issues。 The book flashes back in chapters to some of her female ancestors and their trauma。Overall， this book didn’t have much momentum。 I wasn’t satisfied with the resolution and didn’t like the message that I felt it intimated。 However， I did enjoy the writing。Thank you @netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Linda
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Jamie Ford has just taken me on a marvelous fictional trip covering 250 years。 Along the way I met seven fascinating women and the close friends or enemies they encountered in their lifetimes。 The author did a lot of research to put together this saga， so be sure to read the author’s notes at the end。 Highly recommended！
Cess King-Azote
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“How much pain you can endure shows what kind of wife you will become，” her ah-ma once said， pointing to her own lotus shoes。 “It shows that you will be able to work hard， to cook， to give birth to many children， and take care of them。 To a future husband， your ability to suffer only makes you more attractive。”- From The Many Daughters of Afong MoyReading this book is like reading 7 novellas that are interconnected to one another。 Afong Moy and her 6 descendants each had their own POVs。 Despite “How much pain you can endure shows what kind of wife you will become，” her ah-ma once said， pointing to her own lotus shoes。 “It shows that you will be able to work hard， to cook， to give birth to many children， and take care of them。 To a future husband， your ability to suffer only makes you more attractive。”- From The Many Daughters of Afong MoyReading this book is like reading 7 novellas that are interconnected to one another。 Afong Moy and her 6 descendants each had their own POVs。 Despite having unique experiences in their respective timelines， all the Moy women ended up in some sort of demise or tragedy。 I was deeply affected while reading this novel， especially about Afong Moy。 Imagine being treated like an animal in a circus — strangers petting your hair and gawking at your bound feet just because you’re the first Chinese woman in America？！？！ Ughhhh！！！！ There were so many heartbreaking incidents and injustices that these women went through， no wonder they all suffered mental health issues。 An interesting concept that the author used in this novel to explain the unfortunate lives of the Moy women is through epigenetics。 The idea behind epigenetics is that any trauma can “leave a chemical mark on a person’s genes， which then is passed down to subsequent generations”， in short， shared intergenerational trauma。 It’s an interesting theory and fit very nicely with the story。 I learned a lot from the Moys and they made me feel grateful for the life I am living now。💕💖💕 Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review。 This novel will be out on August 2， 2022。 。。。more
Bam cooks the books ;-）
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Afong Moy is a figure of history--the first known female Chinese immigrant to the United States。 In 1834， Moy was brought from her hometown of Guangzhou to New York City by traders Nathaniel and Frederick Carne and exhibited as "The Chinese Lady。" Everything about her was fascinating to audiences， including her tiny bound feet， her exotic clothes， songs and dances。 In his new book， Jamie Ford imagines some scenarios of her life and that of many of her female descendants。 The premise of his story Afong Moy is a figure of history--the first known female Chinese immigrant to the United States。 In 1834， Moy was brought from her hometown of Guangzhou to New York City by traders Nathaniel and Frederick Carne and exhibited as "The Chinese Lady。" Everything about her was fascinating to audiences， including her tiny bound feet， her exotic clothes， songs and dances。 In his new book， Jamie Ford imagines some scenarios of her life and that of many of her female descendants。 The premise of his story is that trauma they suffered can be passed down genetically through the generations。 He cites a field of study called epigenetics。 I'm kind of open to that idea myself。 It might answer the question of why some families seem to have so much more tragedy and loss in their lives。 A quote from mathematician Norbert Wiener in the story illustrates the idea: 'We are not stuff that abides， but patterns that perpetuate themselves。'Dorothy， one of these many daughters whose own life story is set in the near future， worries that her depression will be passed on to her little daughter so she becomes more proactive to learn how to break the cycle with the hope that 'by no longer identifying as victims of the past， we are empowered to change the future。'I found the stories about each of these women to be rich and interesting， though very sad at times。 I've been digging into my own family's history this past year and often think it's frustrating that we cannot really know much about who they were， other than what can be gleaned through unearthed facts and a few remembered family stories。 I received an arc of this new work of historical fiction from the publisher via NetGalley。 My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Melodi
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The premise of this book is so intriguing！ It takes on the idea that we inherit our ancestors trauma。 I need to do some more homework on this for sure！We follow the many daughters of Afong Moy beginning in the early 1800’s through the later 2000’s we learn each of their stories and backgrounds。 The chapters rotate between each daughter and we slowly come to know them and all about their lives， their struggles and dreams。 The last daughter which is alive mid 2000’s tries to resolve the conflict w The premise of this book is so intriguing！ It takes on the idea that we inherit our ancestors trauma。 I need to do some more homework on this for sure！We follow the many daughters of Afong Moy beginning in the early 1800’s through the later 2000’s we learn each of their stories and backgrounds。 The chapters rotate between each daughter and we slowly come to know them and all about their lives， their struggles and dreams。 The last daughter which is alive mid 2000’s tries to resolve the conflict within herself through a series of what I would call sci-fi experiments。 It goes weird and I’m still trying to process how it all worked out。 I enjoyed each mini story of them women。 I loved the history， some culture， the relationships and ideas this book presented。 Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advance ebook。 。。。more
what。jill。reads
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