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A review by chemistreadingonthejob
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Unprecedented, Tragic, and Captivating
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a heartbreaking peice of literary fiction by Jamie Ford. This story is told fron multiple perspectives across seven generations of woman descended from Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman in America. Dorothy Moy, a poet and mother, undergoes an experimental treatment for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of trauma when she notices her daughter Annabel exhibiting behavior similar to her own. Dorothy intensely connects with her ancestors; Faye, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers, Zoe, a student in England at a famous school with no rules, Lai King, a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic, and her mother Greta, a tech executive for a dating app. Dorothy continues with the treatment despite the possibility of losing her mind, to finally break the cycle of pain and find peace for her daughter.
At first, I found it difficult to keep track of the Moy woman because the chapters jumped back and forth through time. Gradually, I began to be consumed by their devastating stories. I was especially fond of Afong Moy because of her innocence and breadth of the injustice she endured. This felt like the first of its kind. I had an immense amount of empathy for each character. Every word was deeply felt. My favorite passage was;
"For most of her childhood Afong thought that she must have been a horrible man in her previous life to have been reborn a woman. She must have been cruel, to be reborn powerless . She must have been greedy to come back as property. She must have been shiftless, to have had her feet bound in this life. She must have been vehement to have been forced to marry an old man whom she had never met, never seen, unable to forget the young man she cared for, dreamt about."
It's undeniable that this book sparks a fascinating conversation that will resonate with many. It left a lasting impression on me. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a profound read that I would recommend to anyone.
Thank you Atria books, Netgalley, and Jamie Ford for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a heartbreaking peice of literary fiction by Jamie Ford. This story is told fron multiple perspectives across seven generations of woman descended from Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman in America. Dorothy Moy, a poet and mother, undergoes an experimental treatment for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of trauma when she notices her daughter Annabel exhibiting behavior similar to her own. Dorothy intensely connects with her ancestors; Faye, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers, Zoe, a student in England at a famous school with no rules, Lai King, a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic, and her mother Greta, a tech executive for a dating app. Dorothy continues with the treatment despite the possibility of losing her mind, to finally break the cycle of pain and find peace for her daughter.
At first, I found it difficult to keep track of the Moy woman because the chapters jumped back and forth through time. Gradually, I began to be consumed by their devastating stories. I was especially fond of Afong Moy because of her innocence and breadth of the injustice she endured. This felt like the first of its kind. I had an immense amount of empathy for each character. Every word was deeply felt. My favorite passage was;
"For most of her childhood Afong thought that she must have been a horrible man in her previous life to have been reborn a woman. She must have been cruel, to be reborn powerless . She must have been greedy to come back as property. She must have been shiftless, to have had her feet bound in this life. She must have been vehement to have been forced to marry an old man whom she had never met, never seen, unable to forget the young man she cared for, dreamt about."
It's undeniable that this book sparks a fascinating conversation that will resonate with many. It left a lasting impression on me. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a profound read that I would recommend to anyone.
Thank you Atria books, Netgalley, and Jamie Ford for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.