Thank you Atria Books, #partner for the finished copy of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.
Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster Audio
Published: August 2, 2022
Summary:
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.
My thoughts:
I’m so glad I read with this a book group because as much as I loved it, being able to discuss it with others after reading it really enriched my experience of this book. It is such a fantastic book that starts with an author’s note that I highly recommend you read – it really sets up what you are about to read. I always read the author’s note anyway, but when you encounter it first thing, you know it’s something special and meaningful.
This book is about intergenerational trauma and inherited memories. It is a book unlike anything I have read before and I know it is one that will stay with me for a long time to come. It is definitely a book that needs your attention so don’t pick this one up thinking you will be able to fly through it. I alternated between the print and the audio, and even so I found myself going over certain parts because I wanted to make sure I was really taking in what was happening.
Over the course of the book, we meet a lot of characters, all descendants of Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot on American soil. As is the case when there are so many points of view, I was drawn more to some than others, but I still found this to be a very powerful, engaging story and I’m so glad I read it. It’s also the kind of book that would definitely benefit from a reread or two – there is just so much to take in that I am sure I missed little clues the first go around that tie it all together.
This was my first time reading anything by Jamie Ford but it will most definitely not be my last.
Audio thoughts:
As I said, I alternated between the print and audio, mainly listening and just using the print to go back when needed. The audio was narrated by a full cast and I just loved that! All the narrators – Jennifer Lim, Mirai, Cindy Kay, Natalie Nandus, Sura Siu, Emily Woo Zeller, Nancy Wu – did an outstanding job and I loved that Jamie Ford read the author’s note himself. It’s little touches like that that really stand out.
This sounds such an interesting (though complicated) read. Thanks for the review
Author
It’s set up really well. I loved it!