The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
- Downloads：4166
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-06 11:21:48
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jamie Ford
- ISBN：179713681X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
10 hours
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。
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。
Reviews
Kerrin
，
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is one of the more unique novels I have read in a while。 It is part historical fiction， part modern-day， and part science fiction that includes climate change complications。In 1834， the real-life Afong Moy was the first known Chinese woman to immigrate to America。 She spent approximately 17 years traveling across the United States performing under the name the “Chinese Lady。” Patrons were curious about her bound feet， clothing， the songs she sang， her make-up， etc The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is one of the more unique novels I have read in a while。 It is part historical fiction， part modern-day， and part science fiction that includes climate change complications。In 1834， the real-life Afong Moy was the first known Chinese woman to immigrate to America。 She spent approximately 17 years traveling across the United States performing under the name the “Chinese Lady。” Patrons were curious about her bound feet， clothing， the songs she sang， her make-up， etc。 Author Jamie Ford uses Afong as inspiration for this novel about transgenerational epigenetic inheritance。 Afong’s female descendants apparently have inherited the trauma that Afong endured and each additionally passes some of their own traumas to the next generation。The primary character is Dorothy Moy， who lives in Seattle， Washington in 2045。 Dorothy’s crippling depression causes her to lose her academic position as well as the title of Washington’s poet laureate。 When she notices her daughter， Annabelle， exhibiting some of the same behaviors Dorothy did as a child， she undergoes a new radical treatment to help her deal with her inherited trauma。 In so doing， Dorothy is able to interact with Faye Moy， a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers in 1942; Her own mother， Greta Moy， a tech executive who created a dating app in 2014; Zoe Moy， a student enamored by one of her teachers in 1927 England; Lai King Moy， a girl who barely escapes San Francisco during a plague in 1892; and of course， Afong Moy， the Chinese Lady。 Dorothy realizes that each woman has a great love that is somehow denied。 They all struggle with acceptance in a foreign land。 In dealing with these past events Dorothy hopes to find the peace that has evaded the Moy women for generations。4-stars。 This novel was published on August 2， 2022。 Many thanks to NetGalley and the Atria Marketing Team at Simon and Schuster for my advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY。 Jamie Ford has written an intriguing and fascinating book。 My review could just be: wow。 I delight in time travel and historical fiction done well and I have a real fascination with the idea that we may inherit ancestral behavior and emotional （what？） intelligence， for lack of a better word。 I know I am the result of generations of breeding for successful ‘fleeing on time。” Those relatives that waited too long to leave did not survive。 It’s no leap at all to acce THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY。 Jamie Ford has written an intriguing and fascinating book。 My review could just be: wow。 I delight in time travel and historical fiction done well and I have a real fascination with the idea that we may inherit ancestral behavior and emotional （what？） intelligence， for lack of a better word。 I know I am the result of generations of breeding for successful ‘fleeing on time。” Those relatives that waited too long to leave did not survive。 It’s no leap at all to accept the notion that I also inherited other less easily described ‘stuff’ somewhere on the border of memory and emotion。 Author Jamie Ford plays with these ideas among a family of women， all of whom experience depression， loss and tragedy as they live constrained lives。 This will make for fantastic book club discussions！ I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Michelle
，
I loved Jamie Ford's previous books， Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is one of my all-time favorites！ I was excited to see that Ford had a new book coming out， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy。 This book looks at inherited multigenerational trauma through the telling of the stories of seven generations of women spanning 200 years。 Afong Moy was the first Chinese woman in America。 She was paraded around the country as almost a side show exhibit。 Lai King Moy is a girl quarantined in San Fr I loved Jamie Ford's previous books， Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is one of my all-time favorites！ I was excited to see that Ford had a new book coming out， The Many Daughters of Afong Moy。 This book looks at inherited multigenerational trauma through the telling of the stories of seven generations of women spanning 200 years。 Afong Moy was the first Chinese woman in America。 She was paraded around the country as almost a side show exhibit。 Lai King Moy is a girl quarantined in San Francisco during an epidemic。 Zoe Moy is a student at a progressive English boarding school。 Fay Moy is a nurse in WW2 China。 Greta Moy is a computer coder and developer of a dating app。 Dorothy is a poet living in Seattle in the near future 2045。 We meet her and her young daughter， Annabelle。 I loved the storytelling aspect of the book along with the character development。 I enjoyed learning about the about the interwoven stories of these women and the idea of how past lives can influence our current life。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book！ 。。。more
Julie
，
A joy to read！ The characters felt fully formed and compelling。 Ford successfully walks the line between emotional depth and readability （this is so important to me; I don't like getting bogged down in an overly descriptive novel， nor do I like a fluffy beach read）。 I don't quite get the reviews where people say they were confused by this book; it goes down smoothly for a novel addressing intergenerational trauma and epigenetics。 Highly recommended。*I won a free copy via Goodreads， was happy I d A joy to read！ The characters felt fully formed and compelling。 Ford successfully walks the line between emotional depth and readability （this is so important to me; I don't like getting bogged down in an overly descriptive novel， nor do I like a fluffy beach read）。 I don't quite get the reviews where people say they were confused by this book; it goes down smoothly for a novel addressing intergenerational trauma and epigenetics。 Highly recommended。*I won a free copy via Goodreads， was happy I did， and look forward to sharing my copy with friends and family。* 。。。more
Irene Veney
，
I absolutely loved this book！ It did take me awhile to figure out what was happening， as I did the audiobook， and six daughters of Afong Moy from different time periods are introduced in nonlinear order， so keep notes。 I love the way Ford weaves the intergenerational stories using the themes of inherited trauma and epigenetics， two subjects that are currently fascinating me。 Plus it's a love story。Ford's debut was "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" which I remember loving but didn't conne I absolutely loved this book！ It did take me awhile to figure out what was happening， as I did the audiobook， and six daughters of Afong Moy from different time periods are introduced in nonlinear order， so keep notes。 I love the way Ford weaves the intergenerational stories using the themes of inherited trauma and epigenetics， two subjects that are currently fascinating me。 Plus it's a love story。Ford's debut was "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" which I remember loving but didn't connect the author right away。 I also enjoyed his notes and book recommendations。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。Jamie Ford is a longtime favorite， and this multi-generational family story did not disappoint。 Slightly different than his previous books in that this one also goes into the future， this powerfully explores generational trauma and the legacies we inherit。 This story is expansive， ambitious， and moving， and while I would have loved to spend more time with each of the characters featured it's probably already precis Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。Jamie Ford is a longtime favorite， and this multi-generational family story did not disappoint。 Slightly different than his previous books in that this one also goes into the future， this powerfully explores generational trauma and the legacies we inherit。 This story is expansive， ambitious， and moving， and while I would have loved to spend more time with each of the characters featured it's probably already precisely as long as it needs to be。 。。。more
Jordana
，
Breathtaking。 Transformative。 Heartbreaking。 Beautiful。 💫The Many Daughters or Afong Moy💫⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A fascinating look at generational trauma， the things women carry on our shoulders， regardless of time and place， and epigenetic inheritance。 While this is the story of the Chinese women descended from Afong Moy —the first Chinese woman brought （forcibly） to the United States— as a 2nd generation descendant of Holocaust survivors （and further distant descendant of endless generations of Jewish surv Breathtaking。 Transformative。 Heartbreaking。 Beautiful。 💫The Many Daughters or Afong Moy💫⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A fascinating look at generational trauma， the things women carry on our shoulders， regardless of time and place， and epigenetic inheritance。 While this is the story of the Chinese women descended from Afong Moy —the first Chinese woman brought （forcibly） to the United States— as a 2nd generation descendant of Holocaust survivors （and further distant descendant of endless generations of Jewish survivors of pogroms， hatred， violence lost to history）， and as a woman， this book resonated so deeply for me。 This novel is clearly a work of love， respect， and reverence by Jamie Ford。 I am in awe。 Thank you to Sinon Schuster Canada / Atria for providing me with the opportunity to read an eARC of this title in exchange for my fair and honest review。 。。。more
Hannah Kim
，
from dystopia to Paradise！ Awesome CEOS！
Annie McDonnell
，
Everything Jamie Ford writes is a masterpiece！ I absolutely adore his stories。 He is a truly gifted storyteller。It was worth the wait！
Linda
，
Epigenetics—I didn’t even know it is a real thing。 I love a novel that is interesting to read and shares fascinating knowledge at the same time。 Epigenetics studies trauma or other strong emotions that are passed down through generations in a family。 In this story， characters from the 1800s through the 2080s are connected by such a trauma。 Each gets a chapter or two， enough to form a connection with the reader， before the entire saga is brought together in a satisfying conclusion。 The writing is Epigenetics—I didn’t even know it is a real thing。 I love a novel that is interesting to read and shares fascinating knowledge at the same time。 Epigenetics studies trauma or other strong emotions that are passed down through generations in a family。 In this story， characters from the 1800s through the 2080s are connected by such a trauma。 Each gets a chapter or two， enough to form a connection with the reader， before the entire saga is brought together in a satisfying conclusion。 The writing is filled with lines of poetry with lots of hope for the future。Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster/Atria Books for the ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Diana （Reading While Mommying） Dean
，
The concept behind this novel is fascinating。 Ford frames the narrative around the field of biology known as epigenetics--the idea that memories can be passed down from generation to generation through genes。 Starting with Afong Moy--rumored to be the first Chinese woman to set foot on American soil--he traces the lives of seven generations of Moys and how their memories and traumas intertwine。 It's a powerful book that examines the lives of these women， but also speaks to the universal hardship The concept behind this novel is fascinating。 Ford frames the narrative around the field of biology known as epigenetics--the idea that memories can be passed down from generation to generation through genes。 Starting with Afong Moy--rumored to be the first Chinese woman to set foot on American soil--he traces the lives of seven generations of Moys and how their memories and traumas intertwine。 It's a powerful book that examines the lives of these women， but also speaks to the universal hardships women face， including sexism， heartbreak， and misogyny。All of the women in the Moy family are so vividly drawn， you form an emotional bond with each。 However， it's Dorothy who is the one who keeps the story moving forward。 Living in 2045 Seattle， she's suffering from episodes where she falls into the lives of the women from her family's past。 Her boyfriend/father of her child becomes even more volatile and unyielding when she seeks out help from a practitioner of experimental treatment for epigenetic experiences。 I loved the stories of each woman and the exploration of shared trauma and emotion， yet the ending seemed too convenient to me。 It was a shame because the stories of each women leading up to the ending were so engaging。 I loved the peeks into the future Ford gave us， too， with the bits of the story that took place in 2045 and 2086。 Even with the too-convenient ending， I really enjoyed this book and its clever premise。 Absolutely recommend！ 。。。more
Gail Williamson
，
I'm giving this one 5 stars but I'd give more if I could。 I received an early copy for my review of this phenomenal study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance from Jamie Ford。 Ford provides a valuable introduction at the beginning that should not be missed。In his poetic words， he gets into the minds and hearts of each generation of women （1834-2086）， something that many male writers cannot do。“She fantasized about staring up at the sky as she plummeted through the air， fistfuls of poetry I'm giving this one 5 stars but I'd give more if I could。 I received an early copy for my review of this phenomenal study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance from Jamie Ford。 Ford provides a valuable introduction at the beginning that should not be missed。In his poetic words， he gets into the minds and hearts of each generation of women （1834-2086）， something that many male writers cannot do。“She fantasized about staring up at the sky as she plummeted through the air， fistfuls of poetry drifting from her fingertips。”Afong Moy is the first Chinese woman in the Western World in 1834。 She is at the starting line of each of the stories of the women who follow， each dealing with a crisis of learning to survive in their own era。 In each generation we see the struggle to make it through whether it’s the perceived novelty of bound feet， the black death， or the loss of innocence。 But we also see each woman moving forward in their growth。 Because mothers everywhere want their daughters lives to be better than their own， don’t they？Our main character， Dorothy， is questioning her ability to raise her child Annabel （2042） as she is plagued with the trauma of the survival and search for love that has been passed down through her ancestors。 Through the pages we get to know these remarkable women who have stayed with me since finishing this book。 I will say that I took a lot of notes and encourage a reader to do that， there are many subtle sidelines that I would otherwise have missed。“We have many lives， Afong， but this life begins when we realize we only have one。”A beautifully written book that incorporates history， family， family love， and the mystery of that elusive perfect person that can follow you through many generations。Thank you to #NetGalley #Simon&Schuster #AtriaBooks， for a chance to read and appreciate this book。 This is a book I will buy for my shelf。 。。。more
Maria
，
Originally when I finished the book I gave it five stars but I had also been awake for like 30 straight hours and am pmsing so I think the amount of weeping I did was more due to exhaustion。 Having slept and eaten some non junk food I feel good about my 4 stars。 The concept of biologically passing on trauma responses is intriguing。 There were parts where this book really frustrated me because what this particular family passed down was naivete and inaction。 With the older generations it makes se Originally when I finished the book I gave it five stars but I had also been awake for like 30 straight hours and am pmsing so I think the amount of weeping I did was more due to exhaustion。 Having slept and eaten some non junk food I feel good about my 4 stars。 The concept of biologically passing on trauma responses is intriguing。 There were parts where this book really frustrated me because what this particular family passed down was naivete and inaction。 With the older generations it makes sense but with Greta and Dorothy you're kind of just like wtf。 I come from a yelling all your feelings all the time family so it was hard to wait for me to patiently wait for any of these women to take action。 I found the ending very satisfying and I feel like whether inherited through genetics or observation it is our responsibility to not pass our bullshit on to our kids。 。。。more
Kelly
，
As usual， Jamie Ford tells a beautiful story。
Ashley
，
One of the first adult literary fiction books I read was Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet。 That was a book that made a strong impression on me in high school; I had never read a book that captured the experiences of young Asian-American during Japanese internment。 It was possibly the first novel about Asian-American experience I had come across， even as an Asian-American。 So I was excited to receive a review copy of Ford’s next novel from Atria Books and Netgalley！ The Many D One of the first adult literary fiction books I read was Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet。 That was a book that made a strong impression on me in high school; I had never read a book that captured the experiences of young Asian-American during Japanese internment。 It was possibly the first novel about Asian-American experience I had come across， even as an Asian-American。 So I was excited to receive a review copy of Ford’s next novel from Atria Books and Netgalley！ The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is an ambitious book; it tells the stories of five Chinese women in one family across many generations– Afong （based on the first Chinese woman to arrive in the United States）， Lai King， Zoe， Faye， Greta， and Dorothy– in an effort to explore the effects of trauma on future generations。 The vast amount of time covered as we follow women from each generation allows Ford to play with different genres in a way， ranging from historical fiction to speculative， in a future devastated by climate change， where an experimental treatment for generational trauma occurs。 I was impressed by the variety readers get to experience here and the particular eras Ford chose to write about。 Despite needing to tell a story through so many perspectives， Ford does a good job of balancing them equally; the different stories are easy to follow， helped by the fact that we spend a lot of time with each woman before moving to another chapter。 While reading， I remained interested in the mystery of how the timelines would eventually connect knowing that all of these women were related， which reminded me a bit of last year’s Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr。 One of the most challenging aspects of the book was the amount of suffering all of the characters inevitably experienced。 Before the final section of the book （as the story is separated into three acts）， I was ready to conclude that I unfortunately didn’t like the story much despite it being well-written; the fact that each woman was going to encounter tragedy was predictable and repetitive even if the specific details remained a mystery until all the events transpired， and it was difficult to "enjoy" as a result。 But I think this is exactly Ford’s point in trying to depict the idea of inherited trauma and portraying the wide range of challenges women have faced historically， which I can respect。 I won’t spoil anything， but the final chapter of the book somewhat redeemed it for me。 I’m still trying to make sense of exactly what happened and what it means， but Ford conveys the importance of understanding the experiences of those who came before us as a means of coming to terms with our own identity， and the power of the hope this can bring in contending with past tragedy。 For that this novel was worth reading！ 。。。more
Carol lowkey。bookish
，
4。5 rounded upThis book was complex and beautiful。 It is the story of many mothers and daughters connected by memories and experiences through seven generationsThe plot is based on epigenetics， which is the theory that we are genetically connected to our ancestors’ memories and experiences; something I had never heard of before。It took me a while to get into the story probably because it is told through seven characters’ POVs。 About midway through， I couldn’t stop reading; I was hooked！ I especi 4。5 rounded upThis book was complex and beautiful。 It is the story of many mothers and daughters connected by memories and experiences through seven generationsThe plot is based on epigenetics， which is the theory that we are genetically connected to our ancestors’ memories and experiences; something I had never heard of before。It took me a while to get into the story probably because it is told through seven characters’ POVs。 About midway through， I couldn’t stop reading; I was hooked！ I especially enjoyed that the book is based on a real person。There is much sadness and cruelty throughout the book as history is not kind to Afong Moy and the generations that follow。 There is also a touch of dystopian glimpse into the future where the Pacific NW is plagued with horrible Typhoons。I recommend you give this unique and lyrical book a try。I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Susan （The Book Bag）
，
What a wonderful， complicated story！ There are a lot of characters， all descendants of Afong Moy。 They each live their lives—some having an easy time of it， others having to endue hard times。 They all experience some drama and stress but they manage to get through it。 What strong women they all are！This story shows us how interconnected we are to our past。 How much of the experiences and traumas that our ancestors went through manifest in our own lives？ Dorothy sees some of her issues starting t What a wonderful， complicated story！ There are a lot of characters， all descendants of Afong Moy。 They each live their lives—some having an easy time of it， others having to endue hard times。 They all experience some drama and stress but they manage to get through it。 What strong women they all are！This story shows us how interconnected we are to our past。 How much of the experiences and traumas that our ancestors went through manifest in our own lives？ Dorothy sees some of her issues starting to exhibit in her young daughter。 As she seeks answers to her problems to help herself， and her daughter， she connects with the women in her family who have gone before her。 Understanding them will only help herself and give everyone some peace。 Like I said this was a bit complicated considering all the different time frames and the various characters but stick with it。 The ending was extremely satisfyingly for me and I came away with a feel-good feeling。 I'm so glad I read this book。 Jamie Ford has done it again！ 。。。more
Karen
，
Jamie Ford is a master storyteller！ I fell in love with Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet several years ago。 I really looked forward to reading The Many Daughters of Afong May which is a story that takes place over seven generations of Afong Moy’s family。 Afong is believed to be the first Chinese woman to enter the United States in 1836。 Afong has bound feet。 （Having read Lisa See’s excellent book， Snow Flower and the Secret Fan， I could really appreciate the difficulties of bound feet。） D Jamie Ford is a master storyteller！ I fell in love with Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet several years ago。 I really looked forward to reading The Many Daughters of Afong May which is a story that takes place over seven generations of Afong Moy’s family。 Afong is believed to be the first Chinese woman to enter the United States in 1836。 Afong has bound feet。 （Having read Lisa See’s excellent book， Snow Flower and the Secret Fan， I could really appreciate the difficulties of bound feet。） Dorothy， a poet， is the seventh generation。 Living in Seattle in 2045， she decides to investigate her emotional trauma by visiting an experimental epigenetic clinic where Dr。 Shedhorn， a Native American， puts the patient under to explore trauma of previous generations。 I really liked the stories of the seven women that we meet throughout the book。 I was partial to Faye’s and Greta’s stories。 My appreciation for this book began when I stopped after reading Act I and set the book aside。 I had trouble remembering which character belonged to which story。 After a few days I decided to give it another try by taking notes and making a family tree。 This is a book to read slowly （not a beach read）。 I finished the book a couple of weeks ago， and I cannot stop thinking about it。 I think it would be an excellent book club choice for a group who has been together for awhile。 I look forward to another Jamie Ford book。 My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
3。5 stars At first， I found this book hard to follow， since essentially it has 7 different main characters。 Each chapter featured a new character from a different generation for the first 7 chapters of the book， then rotated between them。 They are not daughters of Afong Moy， except for one of the characters。 However， they are descendants which caused some confusion for me since the title infers they are her daughters。 The heart of the book was about epigenetics， but that doesn't come into play u 3。5 stars At first， I found this book hard to follow， since essentially it has 7 different main characters。 Each chapter featured a new character from a different generation for the first 7 chapters of the book， then rotated between them。 They are not daughters of Afong Moy， except for one of the characters。 However， they are descendants which caused some confusion for me since the title infers they are her daughters。 The heart of the book was about epigenetics， but that doesn't come into play until much later in the book。 Epigenetics put in simplified terms is the study of how your body can read DNA sequencing differently and how that can be passed on to further generations。 So if something traumatic happens to you， future generations may hold a fear of something but not know why they are afraid of it。 I liked the concept of the book， but I think it could have been told better。 It was a long story， and then the whole thing was wrapped up neatly and quickly which caused me to question what had just happened。 I do think it would make an interesting book club book for science-minded readers。 。。。more
Susan
，
What a great illustration of intergenerational trauma！ I loved how the lives of Afong Moy （a real person） and her descendants （fictional） were presented with the ongoing issues of the generations before them and how those issues impacted their current lives and how they each might have viewed the same event completely differently。 The characters were well developed and interesting people on their own， even before adding in the actual storyline。 I also liked how the author took his sweet spot （As What a great illustration of intergenerational trauma！ I loved how the lives of Afong Moy （a real person） and her descendants （fictional） were presented with the ongoing issues of the generations before them and how those issues impacted their current lives and how they each might have viewed the same event completely differently。 The characters were well developed and interesting people on their own， even before adding in the actual storyline。 I also liked how the author took his sweet spot （Asian historical fiction） and stretched it out to embrace a little magical realism and fantasy。 I read this book in a day because I couldn't wait to see what happened next。 Also， be sure to read the Acknowledgements！ It is chuck full of interesting information and I learned that something I joke my husband and son about is an actual thing: Lamarckism。 I'll let you discover that gem for yourself。 。。。more
Janet
，
Wow！ Jamie Ford does it again。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a poignant meditation on how we are shaped by those who come before us， as well as an emotional journey through the past and future。 Jamie Ford's lyrical writing fills the reader with wonder， possibility， remembrance， and most of all hope。 This story will live inside me forever。 Wow！ Jamie Ford does it again。 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a poignant meditation on how we are shaped by those who come before us， as well as an emotional journey through the past and future。 Jamie Ford's lyrical writing fills the reader with wonder， possibility， remembrance， and most of all hope。 This story will live inside me forever。 。。。more
Amerie
，
The Amerie's Book Club selection for the month of August is THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford！Follow @AmeriesBookClub on IG， and join me and Jamie Ford on my IGLIVE （@Amerie） August 31 at 1pm EST/10am PST。 Bring your questions！In The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， Jamie Ford takes us through two hundred years-worth of the descendants of the woman known as the first Chinese person to come to the United States。 In a swiftly changing world， Afong’s many female descendants grapple with per The Amerie's Book Club selection for the month of August is THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford！Follow @AmeriesBookClub on IG， and join me and Jamie Ford on my IGLIVE （@Amerie） August 31 at 1pm EST/10am PST。 Bring your questions！In The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， Jamie Ford takes us through two hundred years-worth of the descendants of the woman known as the first Chinese person to come to the United States。 In a swiftly changing world， Afong’s many female descendants grapple with personal issues， hardships due to climate change， war， and social norms， and generational family trauma that haunts them in a very real way。 Exploring epigenetics， trauma， perilous relationships， and the fantastic， this speculative-literary blend had me from the first page—literally the author’s note at the beginning of the book！#ReadWithAmerie #AmeriesBookClub @Amerie @AmeriesBookClub @JamieFord #JamieFord @AtriaBooks #TheManyDaughtersofAfongMoy📚ABOUT JAMIE FORDJamie Ford is the great-grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung， who emigrated from Hoiping， China to San Francisco in 1865， where he adopted the western name Ford， thus confusing countless generations。 His 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。 His work has been translated into thirty-five languages。 Having grown up in Seattle， he now lives in Montana with his wife and a one-eyed pug。 。。。more
Faith
，
Jamie Ford can write， and he knows how to craft a story that can resonate with its readers and pull at their heartstrings。 Ford refuses to settle for trite and familiar plots， pushing into new， imaginative terrain。 In The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， he addresses epigenetics and generational trauma， asking readers to wrestle between hope and despair。 Afong and each subsequent daughter's story is vivid and visceral。 Seven women's stories are told in interchanging chapters， and each has moments of Jamie Ford can write， and he knows how to craft a story that can resonate with its readers and pull at their heartstrings。 Ford refuses to settle for trite and familiar plots， pushing into new， imaginative terrain。 In The Many Daughters of Afong Moy， he addresses epigenetics and generational trauma， asking readers to wrestle between hope and despair。 Afong and each subsequent daughter's story is vivid and visceral。 Seven women's stories are told in interchanging chapters， and each has moments of tension， danger， fear， and opportunity。 They are set across generations， as early as 1892 and as late as 2086。What impact does our history and generational hardships have on us？ Are we destined to similar struggles， are our paths set， or can we alter our future？ What we inherit shapes us， but it need not dictate our lives。 This entire book is haunting and lingers with you。 It gripped me from the dedication on （"This book is for anyone with a complicated origin story。 I feel you。"）。 It is a beautiful， provocative book。（I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。） 。。。more
Sherri Puzey
，
79 • “We don’t have to grieve only those we know。 Sometimes we grieve for that which was lost， that which was never allowed to be。”THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY is a multigenerational story of the women in a Chinese American family， beginning with the first Chinese woman to arrive in America in 1834。 @jamieford weaves together the tales of these women over the centuries with the thread of inherited trauma。 The story centers on Dorothy Moy， a woman in the near future who undergoes experimental 79 • “We don’t have to grieve only those we know。 Sometimes we grieve for that which was lost， that which was never allowed to be。”THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY is a multigenerational story of the women in a Chinese American family， beginning with the first Chinese woman to arrive in America in 1834。 @jamieford weaves together the tales of these women over the centuries with the thread of inherited trauma。 The story centers on Dorothy Moy， a woman in the near future who undergoes experimental epigenetic therapy looking for answers about how joy and pain is passed down through generations。 Though I would have loved to go even deeper into the lives and minds of all of these women， this is an incredibly creative story that explores this fascinating topic of inherited trauma。 I’d suggest reading this alongside others so you can discuss — @jennabhager selected it as August’s @readwithjenna pick！thank you to @atriabooks for sending me a copy of this one！#readwithjenna #bookclubpick #bookclubbook #summerreads #summerreading #bookstagram #newrelease 。。。more
Denice Langley
，
The premise that more connects us with our ancestors than the lines on a family tree is not new。 There have been many books that included the premise under differing names。 Collective memories are real。 There are examples of it throughout time and history。 Jamie Ford picks up the baton and runs with it in THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY。The historical investigation is begun when a young mother who has debilitating periods of depression and sadness sees signs of her mental health struggles in her The premise that more connects us with our ancestors than the lines on a family tree is not new。 There have been many books that included the premise under differing names。 Collective memories are real。 There are examples of it throughout time and history。 Jamie Ford picks up the baton and runs with it in THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY。The historical investigation is begun when a young mother who has debilitating periods of depression and sadness sees signs of her mental health struggles in her 5 yr old daughter。 Determined to make her daughter's life better than her own， she agrees to an experimental treatment plan。 This is the beginning back story to the historical unwinding of Chinese immigrants to America and how the women were treated。 While the concept may confuse many， the stories of Afong Moy and her descendants is uniquely fascinating。 Past， present and future will all roll past this young mother and her daughter while educating and entertaining readers。 It is very hard to say exactly how much I enjoyed this book。 It is most definitely not a "light" read。 But it will cause many a conversation in book clubs and be shared by many women who recognize and question some of the events in their lives。 Are we doomed to repeat history？ 。。。more
Lisa
，
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance reader's copy of this novel。The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is one of those books that everyone will describe as "sweeping" and "epic" and they will be absolutely right。 Jamie Ford tells the story of several generations of one family， all women characters， and we are taken from the 1800s to the 2080s。 I love a book with several narrative voices， especially one that jumps around in time， so this book was right up my alley。 It's also beautifu Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance reader's copy of this novel。The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is one of those books that everyone will describe as "sweeping" and "epic" and they will be absolutely right。 Jamie Ford tells the story of several generations of one family， all women characters， and we are taken from the 1800s to the 2080s。 I love a book with several narrative voices， especially one that jumps around in time， so this book was right up my alley。 It's also beautifully written and unlike anything I've read before。 Actually， while it is unique in many ways， it also reminded me very much of another new book I recently read: Five Part-Invention by Andrea Buchanan。 That book also jumped around in time， with several female characters dealing with generational trauma。 There are certainly similarities between the two books， but they are both well done and worth reading。 。。。more
Michelle Smith
，
I received an invitation to read an advance copy of this book and I accepted because the concept struck me as fascinating， given what I’ve read on generational trauma。 I’d never read a Jamie Ford novel before; to be completely honest， I hadn’t heard of his writing。 I am so thankful to Atria Books for reaching out to me with this one， because by the second chapter， I was completely hooked （I’m now looking forward to reading Ford’s previous novels）。 Every so often as you read a book， you find your I received an invitation to read an advance copy of this book and I accepted because the concept struck me as fascinating， given what I’ve read on generational trauma。 I’d never read a Jamie Ford novel before; to be completely honest， I hadn’t heard of his writing。 I am so thankful to Atria Books for reaching out to me with this one， because by the second chapter， I was completely hooked （I’m now looking forward to reading Ford’s previous novels）。 Every so often as you read a book， you find yourself feeling that this one is really going to be something amazing。 I trust that in reading， because it’s never once steered me wrong， and I felt that from the beginning of this novel。 This story was glorious。 Beautifully written and a fully intriguing plot。 Strongly recommended。 eARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley。 Opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
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
，