The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford had me at the first sentence of the Authors Note... "My First concert was Van Halen in 1984." You see, my very first concert was Van Halen in 1984. So, for me that first sentence showed me that I was going to really like what was coming next!!

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy spans many generations and a big expanse of time. Afong Moy was the first Chinese woman to come to America. But the generations of daughters that come after her carry the pain of Afong Moy. I don't know if I can adequately explain this book in a short review, but Epigenetics or transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is how behaviors can be passed to the next generation without it affecting the DNA. Like generational trauma. So each daughter, grand daughter, great granddaughter of Afong Moy is affected by the trauma of the previous generation.

Each chapter is about a different daughter or about Afong, each chapter shares their story, their family, their trauma and how it connects to the previous generation. Jamie Ford has created a masterpiece with this book. A book that will make you think about the generations that have before you, and what you have inherited from them.

Back to Van Halen....

When my son was younger and I would hear him singing a song that I knew I had not played for him and I would ask him how he knew this particular song, his answer was always "I am your son!!"
Hmmmmm.... 5⭐

“To a future husband, your ability to suffer only makes you more attractive.” As the moon disappeared and it began to rain, Afong thought she must be the most beautiful girl in the world by now.

d a m n.

Less than a week old and already THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY has been generating so much buzz, even selected as the August @readwithjenna pick — deservedly so. Told through 7 voices, weaving through time from the 1830s through the 2080s, this is a novel that looks into generational trauma, how memories can be passed down and woven into DNA, the very fabric of who we are.

The title character, Afong Moy, was a real woman — the first Chinese woman in America — and sadly, perhaps not unsurprisingly, this was my first introduction to her. Wed to a dead man at age 14, she entered marriage a widow and was immediately sent to America where she became wildly famous on the stage, photographed by newspapers, even visited the White House as a guest of President Andrew Jackson.

From world wars and plagues, through natural disasters and dating apps, this novel jumps from daughter to granddaughter, down the centuries and it was here that I was both riveted and frustrated.

Because there’s such a large cast of characters — seven POVs in a book that’s less than 400 pages — I never felt like I spent enough time with each woman: Lai King as the Black Death swept through San Francisco; Faye, working as a nurse in WWII; free spirited Zoe, having fallen hard for a female teacher in the 20s; even Greta in the timeline closest to our own, 2014 and having just received major acclaim for a new dating app.

I understand why Dorothy (in the 2040s) had the most page-time — it’s through her narrative that the reader learns about epigenetics and relives others’ memories — but I’ll be honest, I didn’t care for her. Her POV read too much like a contemporary character: will Beyoncé still be as huge in twenty years? Will Amazon still be the only player in the game? A poet with an overbearing mother-in-law, yawn.

While I preferred certain characters over others, I’m glad to have read this one. I know it’ll be a huge release with a massive audience, I just wanted a bit more than I got.

I have been sitting with this book for a couple of days now, and I still don't think I'm quite ready to write the review, but here goes. I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

First of all, this is a book about trauma. If you are sensitive to trauma, this may not be the right book for you. And yes, from the description that may sound obvious, but I didn't realize how deeply the trauma in this book would affect me. Full list of TW on my goodreads review. If you're not sensitive to trauma, just know that this is a fairly dark book for most of it.

Epigenetics is absolutely fascinating to me, so I loved the idea that there could be a way to tap into it to find out about your past and reckon with it. I loved how we saw each of the daughters' stories woven throughout the novel - I think it would be less impactful if it was linear. That said, I did have some trouble keeping track of which character was in which time period - and I might be mistaken but I don't think we actually see Afong's first direct descendant.

I also had issues with the ending immediately upon finishing the novel, but now I really like it. Spoiler-free, I really like it as a metaphor but not if it's literal. I did have MANY issues with the epilogue though, as it left way too many things unexplained.

I found The Many Daughters of Afong Moy to be a very unique and interesting story about Afong Moy and several of the generations that came after her. Initially, I found myself getting a little overwhelmed and confused by more and more new characters being introduced. Just when I thought I had it all straight, more characters were introduced. Fortunately, each character lives in a separate time period, and therefore share their stories in separate chapters, which helps to differentiate them. That said, it took me until about halfway into the book to realize that it is really Dorothy's story that we are reading, with snippets of previous generation's stories being told.

This book centers around the idea of trauma that is passed down from one generation to the next. This was not a concept I had ever heard about before, so that alone was a really intriguing premise to me. We are then shown the trauma that each woman faced, and how that trauma was passed down to Dorothy, who is struggling with....well...life in general.

It's really interesting to see how each woman has these feelings that they cannot always identify or understand where they are coming from or why they are feeling them - not realizing it's due to trauma from previous generations of their family, oftentimes people they never knew.

The story is not told in chronological order - rather, we are given vingettes of each woman's life, with the book weaving in and out of different generations, but always coming back to Dorothy.

This is a book that I feel you'll want to take your time with and not try to get through quickly. I really enjoyed it and loved the concept of it - though I didn't walk away from it feeling totally blown away. It's also important to note that it is ultimately a sad book, as so much of the focus is on the different traumas experienced by generation after generation of women. Even though there are happy aspects of it, it's definitely not a light or "fun" read.

I do think this is a book that will stick with me and one that will create great discussions for book clubs. I look forward to checking out other works from Jamie Ford after reading this.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

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.

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.

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!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jamie Ford for the ARC of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy in return for my honest review.

This novel has a very interesting theme about epigenetics and generational trauma. I have done some reading on the subject and find it fascinating. My interest aside, I had a bit of a problem following along with the book with all the characters and the jumping back and forth in years/centuries. I found myself needing to take notes to keep track of all the names and details.

Overall this was an interesting read with valuable historical details about the discrimination and suffering that Chinese immigrants experienced in the USA---a subject that is not often spoken about and needs more attention brought to this distressing time of our American history.

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!

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book is heartbreaking in the most beautiful way. A wonderful cast of characters with depth and life. I specifically love the explorations of intergenerational trauma and epigenetics.

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is historical fiction loosely based on the first Chinese woman to come to America in the 1800s. The book follows many generations of Afong's descendents, exploring how experiences, loss, and trauma reverberate through generations in very literal and true ways.

White I had to refer to the family tree a few times, the story is quite easy to follow despite the jumping around in time. Each character had a distinct story and presence and there wasn't one storyline I wasn't interested in. I enjoyed tracing plot lines through each ancestor and the author's answer to the question of who is the captain of one's own ship.

Everything Jamie Ford writes is a masterpiece! I absolutely adore his stories. He is a truly gifted storyteller.
It was worth the wait!

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.

This book was complex and beautiful. It is the story of many mothers and daughters connected by memories and experiences through seven generations

The 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.

4.5 rounded up

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!

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.

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.

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.)

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy was lyrical and absolutely beautiful. It has a very unique concept- I have never read anything like it before! It focuses on generational trauma, which I found fascinating. I love historical fiction and I think this was really well done in that aspect, plus adding the generational trauma made it unputdownable. I am very impressed with this book and can’t wait to read more from this author!