Infergenerational family tales work amazingly to me and this one was absolutely fascinating. Thanks for the arc

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

"Real Americans" is a multi-generational family story told through different points of view. Rachel Khong writes beautifully so it is a pleasure to read, and the story explores themes of class, race, family, redemption, and destiny. I am a fan of her first book, "Goodbye Vitamin," so am thrilled to have been able to read this one early. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5🌟 I love multi-generational family stories and this was no exception. Told in three parts, Lily, her son, and Lili’s mother (May), it got better with each part. My quibble was with Lily’s section and not really feeling the chemistry that brought Lily and Matthew together, other than Matthew was seeking someone so different from his family. I had a hard time connecting with the two of them in most of that first section but then became more connected with Lili in parts 2 and 3. Parts 2 and 3 were 5🌟. Meanwhile, until this one publishes in April, read the author’s last book Goodbye Vitamin.

I had to devour this delicious book in tiny nibbles to make it last longer, it's that good. It's a mystery, a romance, a coming-of-age story, a historical novel, all of which are expressed in the most compelling way.

The Washington Post ran an article about "If you liked this, you'll love that," comparing loved books from last year with new books this year. I unexpectedly adored "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" and here it was shining light on "Real Americans" a novel I might have skipped.

Don't be deceived. "Real Americans" is a treat. Dig in!

A multi-POV, split timeline story tracking generational trauma and the cyclical nature of mistakes. Follow grandmother, mother, and son as they navigate life as multi-cultural citizens. The mystery of what drove mother and grandmother apart is our underlying storyline. See cycles of survival, loyalty, identity, and forgiveness play out with each. Watch characters grapple with a desire for more time, to feel as though they belong, and for confirmation that the choices they make are right.
I was enthralled by this book. I tried to put it down and take break, just to find myself picking it right back up. I finished this in 2 days. The characters are so interesting and well-developed. I found the jumps between timelines and character perspectives jarring at first (it initially happens in large chunks not every couple of chapters), but I think that just adds to the shock of the revelations made and the connections initially unknown. I found the payoff rewarding, and the resolution satisfying. You can viscerally feel the culture clashes, the sacrifices made, and the love lost. I can still feel the heartache just thinking back to write this review. It's a beautiful piece. Some of the science fiction mixed in to give us a concrete central conflict feels a little out of left field, but the connections between characters and emotions evoked more than make up for this. Highly recommend.

Real Americans felt like three books in one, and while it made for a slightly uneven reading experience, each part was excellent in its own way. Part 1 features GenX'er Lily Chen, raised by Chinese immigrant parents and working as an unpaid intern in NYC when she meets Matthew, handsome heir to big pharma money. Part 2 features Lily's son Nick, a teenager living in COVID times, searching for answers about his past that have always eluded him. Part 3 features Lily's mother Mei, a promising scientist in 1960s Beijing, bearing witness to Mao’s changing China. Much is revealed in Mei’s story that illuminate Lily’s and Nick’s experiences as well. With echoes of Min Jin Lee’s Free Food for Millionaires (a favorite of mine) as well as Jamie Ford’s The Many Lives of Afong Moy, Khong has weaved a resonant tale of how we are shaped by those that came before us. There are some science-y things and some coincidences that some readers may raise their eyebrows at, but the overall arc of this multi-generational family story really worked for me.

I loved how character-driven this multi-generational family story was; I feel sometimes these types of stories tend to lean too hard into the historical context at the expense of the characters. The story itself was so dark and engrossing that I think it’s going to stick with me for awhile. That being said, the writing at times was awkward and forced, and I think several aspects of the story needed to be expanded upon for them to work. I was especially disappointed by Lily’s story tapering off without an ending when she was by far my favorite character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced copy of Real Americans. I had been looking forward to reading this and it did not disappoint! 4.5 stars. Real Americans (the title is amazing too after reading the book) is a multigenerational story with such beautiful writing and well-developed characters. The author has such a way with words. Her prose was beautiful and her characters observations throughout the novel were so fascinating. Those observations added another layer of enjoyment to this story that felt unique.

I really loved Lily's POV, which is where the story starts and how each of the following POVs connected the family story, which spanned decades. I typically enjoy family dramas but I really liked the additional elements of science/genetics, history and a touch of science fiction that this story brought together.

This novel is gorgeous in its exploration of inheritance, ambition, and belonging, spanning three generations of a Chinese-American family. There’s a speculative/science fiction theme that is an effective vehicle for much of the story but falls flat for me when it takes center stage towards the end of the novel. While some elements of this story felt hand-wavy, I found the relationship dynamics and character development at the core of the novel resonant and compelling. Khong’s prose is great, I’d read it for days. And honestly, figuring out why the ending didn’t work for me was an interesting exercise in itself; I’ve been mulling it over and talking it out kind of incessantly since I finished the book. This would be a good one to read and share with others.

This one will stay with me for a while. I love multigenerational family stories - particularly when they cross countries and deal with immigration and changed cultures. This was reminiscent of Pachinko, which I also loved. Khong examines how and what we inherit from our parents-- what we are entitled to, what happens automatically, and how that impacts our lives. Khong has a knack for character development - I felt deeply attached to each of the characters, despite their individual flaws. I can tell this will be a hit when it's released in April!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

From the introduction of Khong's novel, I was already intrigued by what the beautifully woven lore and characters would bring: in a short span of pages, I'd already been drawn into the colorful myths she told with the lotus flower and its seeds. Yet, the novel continued to dazzle and amaze, bringing in themes of identity, love, and privilege.

I felt that the book was interesting, too, in how it utilized pacing. We are first brought into the origin story of lily— an art history student living in new york on little to no money trying to survive when she meets matthew, a white man who is the opposite of her in every way. their relationship quickly develops, and we as readers are taken along for the complex dynamics of power and race. We aslo get more and more insight into the different values of lily and her upbringing, one which many would consider "american." Yet, she still does not fit in.

the second part is about the son of lily and matthew, nick. Nick was a scarily relatable character to me— from applying and getting into college to his time socializing with others while balancing his isolated childhood with his newfound fortunes. what I enjoyed about khong's writing here is that we see the development of nick's perspectives as his world broadens: from the small washington island to the glitz and glamour of yale and new york, nick realizes more about himself and family as the plot changes.

sadly to say, the third and last part of the novel fell a little more short for me. Following lily's mother, may, we see her recount her life story to nick about growing up in cultural-revolution era china. while I liked the story may brought into the picture, i felt that it was very different than the others because of how retrospective it was— I never got the sense that may herself developed in real time or was a connection to me as a reader, but rather served as a plot device to explain the past.

another thing I wished was different in this novel was the magical properties used to tie all three characters together. at the end, we find out it was may who swallowed the lotus and wished for time. this gave her a sense of time control which she passed onto lily and nick. Yet, I didn't at all feel that this sense of time was well done, nor really contributed to the bonding of all these characters. The scientific part, too, I found slightly lacking. I wished it was more explained because it seemed to just be incorporated without much more context or background. Especially in the last part with may, it felt like it took up the whole plot, yet I still didn't understand as much of the significance of this storyline and how it correlated with nick's startup he worked at with levi. this is not to say the book was not good- in fact, it was a very enjoyable and lovely read, but i did feel that at times I was taken out of the world-building due to the tightness of the plot. overall, however, i would definitely see myself recommending this to others, especially those who enjoyed natural beauty by ling ling huang.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced copy in exchange for a review!!

This is a story I am not soon to forget.

Rachel Khong is the author of Goodbye, Vitamin. Her new novel is a sweeping saga of three generations split into several sections to highlight their perspective.

Lily Chen, is a struggling college intern when she meets Matthew. Matthew is a white man, attractive smart and incredibly rich. When the two fall in love, they set off a story that is part love story, part thriller and part speculative fiction.

Sections of the book focus on the four main characters: Lily, Matthew, Nick Chen and Lily's mother, a woman who fled Mao's communist China. Khong juggles four very different people's lives, experiences and decisions
effortlessly to create a story that I cannot compare to any other, Maybe what I loved most is that I truly did not know what would happen next.

If you like a sprawling saga, interested in identity, history and contemporary issues, you cannot go wrong with this beguiling book, Real Americans
.#knopf #knopfpantheon #realamericans #rachelkhong

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘴 initially starts out as a romance between two mismatched people and then evolves into a multigenerational story that explores the shapeability of good fortune, the privilege of choice, the value of time, and the benefits and dangers of scientific innovation. It is part family saga, part historical fiction, with a light sprinkling of magical realism.

In late 1999, college senior and art history major Lily is struggling to make ends meet and find purpose and meaning in Manhattan. Then she meets and bonds with quiet, kind Matthew at a holiday party and something between them blossoms, despite the differences between them in wealth, class, and cultural background.

In 2021, Nick is a high schooler in the Pacific Northwest, waiting. Waiting to test for his driver’s license, waiting to apply to colleges, waiting to get away from his loving but restrictive, overprotective single mother and start his own life. A way out presents itself in the form of his estranged father.

In 2030, elderly Mei recounts growing up in rural China during the rise of the Communist party, going to the city to study science, escaping during the Cultural Revolution, and emigrating to the United States. She ruminates on a life of opportunities, losses, and regrets.

Split into three different sections with Lily, Matthew, and Mei each serving as narrators, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘴 is a nicely crafted study of identity, inheritance, ambition, and human connection. I found some storylines and characterizations stronger than others, but everything came together to form a beautifully written and engrossing tale. I can already tell this book will be one of my favorite reads of 2024.

Thank you to Knopf for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I finished Real Americans by Rachel Khong via @netgalley. It is a multi-generational story about trying to find your way and discover who you are amongst complicated familial, friend and romantic relationships. And how making life decisions about you or your loved ones with even the best of interests can actually be more damaging to everyone involved. Told in 3 perspectives, one character/section at a time, so by the end all missing pieces to their story are connected. Includes themes of race, motherhood, science and lost loves. Easy 5 stars. Coming in April from @aaknopf. 
*Goodbye, Vitamin by her is also amazing if you’re interested in her backlist title while waiting!

This book is SOOOO GOOD! I LOVED it! Lily is a great NYC character and I thought I would not like it when the perspective changed, but she was still in it, and this author just made three incredibly interesting stories, all with characters I loved for different reasons. I am so glad I read this, it is up there with my favorite book from last year, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, I think because of its just right mix of happiness and sadness and life. Read it, you will not regret it. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advance copy.

Multi-generational family drama meets scientific exploration with a touch of magical realism. REAL AMERICANS was one of those rare can't-put-it-down books that I was thinking about when I wasn't reading it. It tackled themes like race, capitalism, eugenics, immigration, family, culture, love, abandonment and more in a way that was delicate and not at all heavy handed.

Lily is coming of age as the world enters Y2K. She is the only child of Mei and Charles, who immigrated to the United States from China. Later on in life, Nick, Lily's son, is growing up himself and trying to learn about the family that his mother never talks about. Finally we have Mei, whose life under communist revolution leader Mao in China shaped her own experiences and choices that will ripple through her family for generations.

I loved all three character's stories. Normally in a book like this that has POV's of multiple protagonists, I find myself drawn more to one more than the others. That wasn't the case in Real Americans. Khong's strong character development lends to the reader truly understanding motivations and actions.

Recommended to readers who like beautiful writing, strong family stories, and thought provoking narrative.

Many thanks to the marketing team at AA Knopf for the gifted copy.

An interesting novel that qualifies has highly readable but reaches for something larger. It works fine as the saga of three generations of intertwined, and disrupted, lives, some Chinese, some privileged white. But with its title and its substructure of genetics, it raises questions of nationality, race, cultural assumption and so on. Some will, I think, find this stuff more burdensome than enthralling, but I applaud the intention even though I question the integration. Above all, Kong is a skillful, transparent narrator delivering clean, intelligent and compelling prose. One to watch, for sure.

This book had a lot of promise and could maybe fit into a senior book circle at one point, but right now I just don't see a place in my curriculum. The characters are well written enough, and the themes are broad enough to maybe fit a unit's essential question about immigration, family dynamics, or wealth inequity, but the book doesn't say enough of something about any of those topics to warrant a curriculum adoption. The writing is charming, and the reading level is accessible for most grades at a secondary level.

I've been looking forward to this book ever since finishing Rachel Khong's first book, so I dived in absolutely as soon as I could. I love this book. I recognize this sounds hyperbolic, but I think it is a masterpiece. The sentences, paragraphs, sections were so beautifully constructed. It took me forever to read because I just found it heartbreaking, particularly the middle section - where Goodbye, Vitamin did such great work extracting the absurd funny bits in a terrible situation, this book often felt to me like it was finding the most terribly sad bits of our characters' everyday lives. If I have any critique, it's that I'm not sure if the bigger messages about genetics and predetermination fully landed with me, but that didn't bother me as a reader, because I cared too much about the characters and their stories. Really, an incredible book.