This story follow a mother, Lilly, in the 1990s, her son, Nick, in the present day, and the grandmother, May, back in the 1970s/present day.

We are introduced to Lilly when she is a senior in college. She meets Matthew, a man a bit older whose family owns a drug manufacturing empire. The first part of the story is essentially their love story up until Lilly gives birth to Nick.

We then transfer to Nick, who is living with his mother in a remote area in Oregon. We follow Nick as he finishes high school, goes to college, and begins a career.

We finally end with May in 2030. May is telling Nick her life story, starting in China where she studied biology, to her escape to Hong Kong during the Mao era, her marriage to Charles despite loving another, her move to America - becoming employed as a scientist, and the birth of Lilly.

The story is about understanding the choices we make and how they impact our futures. May makes a lot of decisions that lead to the birth of Lilly, and Lilly makes a lot of decisions that impact Nick’s life.

I enjoyed most of the story. I felt Lilly was very selfish and Nick and May’s stories were a bit too long.

Rachel Khong's Real Americans was a treat to read. Having read Khong's Goodbye, Vitamin, I was a bit apprehensive (I found the first one a bit meh). Real Americans tackles issues of race, gender, and class and forces a consideration of what happens when a parent's desire to give the best to their child is pushed to the extreme. Khong's characters are in China, New York, Seattle, San Francisco (among others), but I found the selections in China to be the most informative. Best of all, Khong manages to give her readers a bit of a "happy ending" without it being cheesy.

I don't say "certified page-turner often," but REAL AMERICANS easily earns that distinction. Three generational stories woven into one, characters I still think about months after reading, and stunning prose that balances an intensely immersive story with powerful philosophical questions about fate and the human condition. This one has a permanent spot in my heart.

I'm sorry to report, this book doesn't live up to expectations. The family drama just doesn't really have enough drama. Khong does a lovely job of introducing all teh characters, but I just didn't grow to love or care about them as much as I hoped to. This is perhaps because Khong tried to tackle too much in one book. I would have preferred to read each of their stories separately and a bit more deeply.

I loved this book. It was so well written. I was captivated from the first page to the last one. What a read!

I was immediately addicted to this which is my favorite thing about reading. I love when that happens. Really loved how the same theme of tine was present for everyone, just in different ways.

When I think of my favorite books of the year 2024, this will be one of the first ones I think of. This generational family saga was absolutely incredible and I’m still thinking about it almost a year after reading it.

This was a great novel about a multi generational family with so much drama that I had a hard time putting it down. . I enjoyed the character development and the perspective from each one. Highly recommend this one!

Real Americans is a compelling and beautifully written novel that explores identity, family, and the pursuit of belonging. The characters are richly developed, and the story unfolds in a way that feels both intimate and expansive, drawing me in from the start. While some parts felt a bit slower, the emotional depth and thoughtful storytelling made it a powerful and rewarding read.

What I love about Rachel Khong’s writing is that there is a groundedness in her characters and their worlds that feels so familiar, that it’s easy to get wrapped into her novels. This novel still has that grounded nature, but I had a harder time staying engaged with the story. I especially wanted the theme of family to be explored more complexly.

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

The Real Americans was the kind of messy family drama that I love to read about. The twists and turns of the story were not easy to identify before they happen and were stitched into the story that made the story fuller.

"Real Americans" is a powerful book that explores identity and belonging. . The author combines personal stories with social insights, creating an engaging narrative.

I started out with high expectations for this book based on so many people talking about it but when I was 25% of the way through - I didn't see the hype living up to the reality. Multiple viewpoints, characters who I didn't really care about and lack of clarity on what the story was trying to tell me. BUT then as I continued the book - I really loved it! The 3 points of view don't wrap up in a neat bow at the end. There are questions left unanswered, and you will want more when it is all said and done.

Cheers to the author for the way the book was written for the exploration of identify and belonging = to family and to a country. It left me thinking about the book for a long time!


Thank you to Net Galley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf and Rachel Khong for the ARC

‘Real Americans’ was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once we reached the midway point I was fully invested in this contemplative family drama.

This had an interesting start but ended up setting the book down for now. Night try this again in the future

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is an engrossing and ambitious novel in three parts, offering a coming-of-age narrative across three generations... a grandmother fleeing China's cultural revolution, a mother struggling to find her footing, and a son/grandson uncovering the truth about sacrifices made along the way. Khong offers a truly creative look at the "American Dream" infused with a touch of magical realism and a smidge of science fiction to enhance the storytelling.

In Real Americans, Khong asks many interesting and nuanced questions about wealth, freedom, and family ties, however, I was left wanting a bit more depth from the answers. (This would be a phenomenal book club discussion.) I also think the three-part structure sacrifices some of the connections between characters... as massive chunks of time are completely left out of the book.

Still, I found this read nearly unputdownable, which is an experience I've been missing lately. Although I had an ARC, I ended up listening to most of it and really enjoyed the audio experience.

Final thoughts: Really liked.

This novel covers 50 years in the lives of three generations. It begins with Lily, a first-generation Chinese American who meets her future husband, Matthew. Lily soon becomes aware that Matthew comes from a very wealthy family, unlike Lily.

Part 2 is narrated by Nick, the son of Matthew and Lily who is living his single mother in very remote part of the US. The third part is the story of May, Lily's mother who immigrated from China with her husband and Lily's father. May is a scientist working in a laboratory alongside Charles on break-through discoveries that may or may not enhance life and genetics.

I didn't love each character's parts equally, but each part contributed to more understand of the other two points of view.
The book was well written, and I will definitely read more of her works!

I received Real Americans as an ARC through Netgalley. I enjoyed the magical realism mixed in the historical fiction of the rise of Mao. Following May's family through the decades really showed the hardship and difficulties it took to physically and mentally escape communist China. Rachel Khong did a masterful job of weaving all the characters lives together and I enjoyed all the different perspectives.

The way this tied together! I loved a multigenerational story and this did not disappoint. This book has stuck with me long after reading it - I'm still mulling over the ways our decisions impact those of our descendants. I loved that none of these characters were perfect but I was rooting for all of them just the same.

I ended up eventually listening to this, which was a good choice - the narrators were very good. I loved the story and the way it spanned generations.