I loved Rachel Khong’s debut novel, Goodbye, Vitamin, so I was so excited to read her latest work, Real Americans. This novel, though very different from Goodbye, Vitamin is a resounding success, and Kong has cemented herself as an important voice in American literature.

This multigenerational family saga tells the story of one family over the course of three generations. After a brief prologue, readers are introduced to Lily Chen, an Asian American woman whose story begins on the outset of Y2K. She is a young woman just starting adulthood when she meets and soon falls in love with Matthew, the Caucasian heir to a massive fortune.

Their relationship seems almost charmed at first, but things change when Lily gives birth to a son. While this is, of course, a happy occasion, the family cannot help but notice that their son, Nico, looks so much like his father that he is white-passing. And when Lily begins to suspect that there is more behind her son’s appearance than simple luck of the draw, she takes her son and leaves Matthew and his money behind.

Years later, Khong introduces Nick. He is a high school student with his eyes set on college, but he struggles with some aspects of his identity. His mother has not told him anything about his father, and without any information forthcoming, Nick feels unmoored. His confusion is only compounded by the fact that, despite his appearance, he identifies as biracial, and he struggles to build senses of community and belonging. So, when Nick’s best friend convinces him to take a DNA test, he agrees. Although nothing happens for some time, the test eventually yields results, and he is connected with his father Matthew.

The novel takes off from there, and readers soon learn that there is more behind these events than meets the eye. We learn that the story’s true beginning has its roots in Communist China, from which Nick’s grandmother fled. What is more, this story and the secrets that go along with it have potential future implications, and this compelling novel about a complicated family is sure to capture readers’ attention.

When I initially finished Real Americans, I thought that I preferred Khong’s debut, which has a surprising and poignant twist, but having gained some distance, I have realized that Real Americans has stayed with me in an indelible way. I love a novel in which family secrets impact characters even generations later, and that is exactly what Khong delivers here. We see how the secret impacts their relationships and how the family has fractured over the years. The inverse of that, however, is that, over the course of the novel, there is a lot of healing and growth,

Khong also looks at some interesting themes, such as identity, time, genetics, and eugenics. I have read many novels looking at these themes before, but Khong brings something fresh and new to conversation. It is safe to say that I have never read anything quite like Real Americans, and I doubt I will again. Original, thought-provoking, and poignant, Khong’s latest is sure to win her many new readers.

This review originally appeared online in FXBG Advance

The scope of this novel--covering three generations' worth of family history and trauma--is vast, so naturally there are so many topics to cover that it would be impossible to go into depth about all of them. Despite my knowing this, however, I was disappointed that the novel didn't quite deliver on that front. Nonetheless, I'm impressed Khong's storytelling and enjoyed the distinct voices of the three characters (Lily, May, and Nick).

Real Americans (ARC)
Rachel Khong
4⭐️

Pub Date: 4/30/24

This was so interesting to read. It's family drama, romance and also some science/genetics. The book is divided into 3 parts, with each having a different POV, character, and generation. I really adored part 1, Lily's POV. This is where the romance is, how she met, dated and married. The relationship was too perfect that I was so anxious that it would fail. This part also showed how Asian parents vs American parents show their love to their children. I'm grateful for the relationship I have with my mom but I know a lot of people who are having difficulties with their relationships with their Asian parents. Lily's mom doesn't even try to be affectionate with her. It got me very upset. The secrets were slowly introduced and it kept things very interesting to read. Part 2 is Nick's POV, Lily' child. There's growth in Lily's character as a mom and it shows how affected she was with her mom's treatment of her. This part has more of a coming-of-age feel. Nick reconnects back to his roots and this part answers the secrets and mystery about his birth partially. Part 3 is Lily's mom's POV, her struggles growing up in Mao's China, escaping, dealing with her own heartbreaks, that shaped her decisions and mistakes.

All 3 stories and POVs were heartbreaking. Part 1 and 2 were really good but I felt like it slowed down a bit on part 3 when i expected it to ramp up. I liked how it ended, it didn't feel rushed to me but that last sentence was a big win for me.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a multigenerational Chinese American family saga with three timelines and three narrators. The writing is wonderful and the characters are flawed. I really love how the different timelines weave together to bring the story together. Explores themes of dysfunctional families, genetics, and ethics.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced digital copy of the book for my honest opinion.

This is a Read with Jenna Book Club pick.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is an incredible book with a lot to think about and take in. I loved the three parts of the story and the different points of view that brought the story together. Overall, it was a surprising tale that had me entirely engrossed and I found the conclusion to be satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the ARC!

📖 Book Review 📖

📱🎧”Real Americans” by Rachel Khong

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

At 22 Lily Chen is an unpaid intern hoping to make her way into this NYC media company. She meets Matthew and his kindness, generosity and easy going attitude draws her in. From very different backgrounds- East Coast pharmaceutical company heir and her the only child of 2 immigrant Chinese scientists living in Tampa, but they fall in love. I really began to like the book when Lily’s mother just about missed the wedding- you begin to wonder what is going on.

Now 21 years later Lily is a single parent to her 15 year old son Nick. Living in WA on a secluded island and feeling like he isn’t getting the full story, he does a DNA test to find his biological father.

Jumping through time we learn of Lily’s mother May’s origin story and the escape during Mao’s reign. I found it interesting, truly unique and it made me think of a lot of ethical questions about genetics, our pasts and the mistakes made.

#somanybooks #readsomemore #audiobooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #bookishlove #readersgonnaread #bookishaf

Real Americans was a wonderful book. A generational saga told in 3 parts. With each part the family drama peels itself back, to expose each person
N and their role in .the lives of their families. Each generation hoping to improve the lives of the next generation, at any cost. Always with the best intentions, but maybe not with the best outcomes.

Unfortunately, this didn't work for me. I thought it felt very unpolished and scattered, and the threads never came together. Wish I'd liked this more as I loved Khong's first book.

Beautifully written - these characters are so well illuminated and their backstories will blow you away. I kept rereading lines, not because my interest wandered, but because the passage was so compelling. I loved the element of time, as the narrative arc goes from present to past to future and back again seamlessly. It's a marvel of writing.

Astonishing and beautiful - I wanted to tear through this book, but ended up deliberately slowing down so I could savor Khong's writing and characters for as long as possible. Recommended to several friends the moment I turned the last page.

Spanning three generations, Khong takes us on a journey of discovery, family, trust, class and of finally coming home. While slow going and somewhat choppy in parts, it was still a riveting story throughout with compelling characters and a thought provoking plot. Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This multi-generational family saga was right up my alley! This book follows three generations - a mother, son, and grandmother - from the early 2000s in NYC to the present day to communist china - as a family secret slowly unravels, explaining tense family dynamics between parents and children over the years. I loved the mix of romance, literary fiction and historical fiction in this book, as well. I think this is Rachel Khong's best book yet & foresee it topping all the end of the year best lists! 4.5 stars!! The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars was I found the ending a bit disappointing but otherwise, I HIGHLY recommend!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Intriguing ideas and a multigenerational storyline! Loved hearing Lily's perspective on things, perhaps that felt the most relatable. Beautiful writing & I look forward to reading more. Thanks for the ARC.

Real Americans
4.25/5🌟

Rachel Khongs second novel reads more like three separate novellas, each one about a separate member of the same family.

We meet Lily in 1999, a first generation daughter of two Chinese scientists. In what seemed like a romantic dramedy, she meets and falls for the handsome son of a pharmaceutical scion - a family that has an old connection, coincidentally, to Lily’s. We then fast forward about 20 years to meet Nick, Lily’s nearly grown son, whose father is mysteriously absent. Finally, in 2030, we learn about May, Lily’s mother. This is my favorite section of the book as we May’s background and her experiences in the Chinese Cultural
Revolution and as an immigrant to the US are uncovered.

The beaitful cover art hints to the different cities and time periods covered, in a pattern that becomes apparent as a helix; a strand of DNA. This story fascinatingly weaves together love, family connections, science and genetics, and even a sprinkling of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it magical realism.

It asks questions of race, identity connection, to what lengths we will go to for our children’s well being, and how much say should we have, really, in who our children become.

I enjoyed the slow, even pace, the deftly crafted and complicated characters and the interesting dilemmas presented.

Have you read this one yet?

Many thanks to @netgalley and @knopf for the Advanced Reader’s Copy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and Rachel Khong for allowing me to read this interesting multigenerational literary fiction novel. I loved this book. I learned so much about China and immigrating to America as well as the family drama that can occur from such a powerful family history. I love the multiple point of views. This book was beautifully written and I can’t wait to read everything from this author. I am looking forward to the next book as this author is an auto buy author for me now. Thank you again for allowing me to review this book.

This is a thought provoking read that digs deep into our society, where it is and where it may be headed. The characters were interesting and the mystery of the story kept me reading. However, things developed too slowly for my liking, which brought my rating down a bit.

Probably my favorite book of the year and I almost skipped it! What a mistake that would have been. I loved the character development and the story progression.

A multi-generational story told from the perspectives of the mother, the son, and the grandmother. The grandmother left cultural revolution era China, while the mother experienced a first generation American upbringing and her son a second generation, without knowing his father. Despite the relation, each family member feels somewhat disconnected from the other and each section explores their history and choices that led them there. Overall, a story about genetics, power, and wealth, told across three somewhat disparate generations, but who in the end discover the common threads. The first two parts were more gripping than the last, but it did come together in the end.

Three generations of Asian-Americans with a section devoted to each-Lily (born in Fl) her son Nick(raised on a remote island in Washington) and Mei (adopts name May) who is born in China and literally escapes to America. I had a very tough time with this book. Lily’s story seemed stereotyped and unrealistic and her son Nick (section 2) was to my mind not a like-able character. The third section devoted to Mei (adopts name May) to me was the most interesting. Her life in China is historical fiction-peasant growing rice- escape through her brilliance to University in Peking-persecution under Mao’s cultural revolution-and eventual escape to America.
The book touches on multiple topics-racism , assimilation, genetics, love and family relationships, illness, molecular biology and gene editing but IMO never in sufficient depth to hold the reader. I truly struggled with this book and would be interested to see what others think.