I had a hard time following the story. I felt like it jumped around and it took me a bit to figure out where and who I was with. I loved the part about China during a very difficult time for the citizens there. So scary and interesting. I think that the ending did help to highlight that it was really about changing genetics to build a "super" race but more about parents trying to do everything they could to make their children and grand children's lives better.

This was such a big, beautiful story about family and how we identify as people in this world. The story is told through three generations of Chinese Americans figuring out their path in life and belonging in their community. There are many heavy topics addressed but it is handled with such care and well-developed characters that I could not put the book down. At times, the pacing was a bit difficult for me but overall I loved learning about each of the characters and the understanding of the immigrant experience that shown through. The time jumps felt especially interesting as a plot point. I really enjoyed this book and I think it will inspire a lot of conversation between readers. Thanks to Rachel Khong, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this novel that almost felt like 3 separate stories that shared the same characters each told from a different point of view (Lily, her son and her mother) set in different points of time (past, present and future). There were so many themes touched upon: the ethical considerations of genetic research; fortune and the role it may or may not ultimately play when making decisions; family dynamics and how they are affected by long-held secrets; the inevitable impact of climate change; and the passage of time and how we change with it. So much food for thought!

Where you are in life may determine which section will resonate most for you. Old souls, deep thinkers and gen-xers will likely appreciate the book a bit more than others.

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Knopf/Borzoi Books/Penguin Random House LLC (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

Real Americans is a compulsively readable, three-timeline, multigenerational family saga that would make an excellent book club pick (especially during AAPI Heritage Month). I flew through its 400 pages in 24 hours!

It follows three characters, in this order: Lily, a young Chinese-American woman living in NYC in the 90s and early 00s who falls into a whirlwind romance with a (actually decent) rich white guy; Nick, their son, navigating early independence as he goes off to college and sets out to meet his father; and Mei/May, Lily’s mother, who came to the US after being displaced by the Cultural Revolution.

I really enjoyed this book, but admittedly, it has all the right things going for it when it comes to my taste. Family saga? Flawed characters? Multiple timelines? A sprinkle of science? A touch of mythology? A couple of well-placed plot twists? Sign me up. It’s up there in page count, but it never felt too long because the characters were well written and the prose and pacing read fast.

Don’t be surprised when you see this one flying off shelves and making best-of lists for the year. It sticks the landing right between literary novel and commercial success.



CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Suicide; Rape (on page but not detailed); Animal cruelty (minor); Infertility and pregnancy

Real Americans is not the immigrant story readers might typically imagine. Khong’s tale is structured in three parts, narrated by three generations of the Chin family. We start with Lily in the early 2000’s, born in America, and working as an intern in New York City when at an office party she meets the charming but enigmatic Matthew. The next section is from Lily’s son Nick’s POV. Nick lives and grows up sheltered and smothered in the state of Washington with his single-mother Lily. College is Nick’s escape plan. Once he is away at school on the East coast, by means of DNA testing, Nick discovers who his father is. Part three takes us to the future in 2030 and then back in time to the Red Revolution, as Nick’s grandmother Mae, once a dedicated scientist, shares her story, and all the pieces fall into place.

Khong’s literary structure compels us to read, maintaining a sense of mystery, as slowly the truth of the Chin family is revealed. But the reader should not be lulled into thinking that Real American is simply a beautifully written family saga. The novel explores whether American identity is embodied by our quest for the best - competive drive, striving for fortune, fame or status, educational or scientific advancement. Or is it rooted in heritage, skin color or the shape and color of ones eyes? The author also invites the reader to consider the big questions of freedom and destiny, how far one will go for their loved ones, and whether it is possible to forgive or overcome the missteps of previous generations. And finally, is it possible for Americans to cease their striving long enough to appreciate and be content with what they have?

Many thanks to the author @RrrrrrrachelKhong, @AAKnopf and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A moving, multi-perspective intergenerational story about three generations of Chinese Americans - their lives in China under Mao, women's struggles to have careers and families, infertility struggles and a focus on gene therapy and what it could mean to be able to self-select for certain desirable traits. The book also looks at mental health, love, connection and complex mother-daughter relationships. A great book club pick that's been getting lots of buzz and was also good on audio with a cast of excellent narrators. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5/5 stars

I read this book for book club and I’m so excited to discuss it!

This book was told from three different perspectives and it took me a little bit to figure out the timelines and characters and but when I did, I enjoyed and appreciated how intertwined they were. You can tell there was a lot of research and planning that went into this book and I’m left with so many questions of myself and who I am a part from my family and how I was raised.

I’m meeting the author next week and I can’t wait to hear more about this book and her inspiration for it. Real Americans was so thought provoking, entertaining and I’m eager to read whatever this author writes next.

Read this book if you like:
•many timelines and characters
•science and genetics
•a strong character driven book
•a slower paced book filled with quotes that you’ll continue to ponder

Loved this book!! I loved that we got to spend quality time with each of the three characters and see how their life unfolds. The writing is so captivating and easy to read.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a multi-generational novel that centers on American identity and the theme of nature vs. nurture.

The novel starts with Lily Chen and tells the meet cute story of how she meets and falls in love with Matthew. I found this part of the novel the most enjoyable.

Unfortunately, we then jump forward in time and follow Nick Chen as he struggles with feelings of not belonging. As we follow Nick, desperately seeking his place in the world, we meet May, Nick’s grandmother, and Lily’s estranged mother.

This introduces another time shift. Here, we learn how May and Charles fled from Mao’s Communist China and ended up in America.

Going back in time loses momentum in the story. Also, at this point, I don’t really care about the story or the characters. I just want it to be over.

Others may enjoy this more than I did. It’s not a bad book, but it’s not one that I loved either.

🧬 Book Review 🧬

Is this Historical Fiction? Magical Realism? Yes, and yes, and it works! The novel starts out as one thing and then sprinkled in between are little surprises that make it so unique and clever keeping you completely engaged.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author explored the concepts of identity, race, legacy, genetics and family. I loved every main character and identified with each in a different way. I completely get the question of are you American or are you a “real American”?

Thank you to NetGalley and AlfredAKnopf for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

I was SO grateful to get an advanced copy of Real Americans by Rachel Khong thanks to NetGalley and Knopf!

This book had some of my favorite elements - multiple generations, an immigrant story, questions of what it means to be an American, with some ethical questions as well as a little bit of magical realism.

This book introduces us to May in the opening scene with a glimpse of a story that will leave you wanting more. It then follows the main characters, May, Lily and Nick, in separate timelines moving forward with each of their perspectives in each section.

The first part of the book was a little slow for me. The opening scene was great, but then I spent much of the first part wondering where the story was going.

When I figured it out, it started reading faster. I became invested in this family, and with the short chapters, I wanted to keep turning the pages. Mei/May's sections, her history, and her internal struggles were my favorite parts of the book. Her story was richly perceptive of every time period we saw her in, as she struggled to survive while never letting go of her ambitions and dreams.

While I love books that play with time, and how Khong tried to connect the the reference to Chinese folklore here, I don’t think the magical element worked as well in the story. I think the central story of this family was strong enough to hold up the story without that element of magic.

Through this family's stories, Khong raises strong questions about dreams, ambitions and choice. Do we choose, or are our choices made for us (by our families, society and culture norms?) What does it mean to belong? Can you belong while still maintaining your sense of self? Can belonging and connection be found in celebrating differences rather than in sameness? Can we ever truly leave behind the past, or does it follow us around? And what does it mean to be a “real American?”

Immigrant parents wonder of their first-generation American children, what will you become with this fortune you’ve been given? Children wonder, who were you before me? Would I have been happier “there?”

Overall, I think this book brings up so many important questions that as a first-generation American resonated strongly for me. Indisputably, Rachel Khong’s writing is BEAUTIFUL. Of the choices the older generation makes, based on survival, not love, Khong writes that having had no such precedent, they didn’t believe that love was a sturdy enough scaffolding to a life. My first-gen heart was devastated by this devastating and profoundly true idea. How difficult must life be for people who are willing to let go of their country, homes, families, language and culture - for just a chance at freedom and opportunity? And what trade-offs must they make along the way?

While this was different than what I expected, and the magical element didn't piece together perfectly, I am so glad I read this. Rachel Khong is an expert at writing about immigrant families’ experiences, and I will absolutely keep reading everything she writes.

Thank you to Net Galley and Knopf for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I very much enjoyed this multigenerational story from mainly a 1st person perspective. There are three parts. The story starts with Lily Chen who meets Matthew at her job in New York. They couldn't be more different and fall in love and marry. We then jump about 20 yrs in the future and meet Nick, Lily's son, who lives in Washington state with his single mother. He eventual searches for his biological father who he knows nothing about. And finally Mei, Lily's mom, tells the story of how she came to the US and her life trying to find her way in a new country. In each generation, there are many secrets that are kept from their children which affect them in the end. Using these three perspectives made the telling so much interesting - learning about immigration, belonging, racism, being bi-racial and how the world sees you, and family dynamics. It was a very satisfying read with twists and turns.

I haven't read Rachel Khong before but I will read anything she write after finishing Real Americans. I have really expanded my world view the last ten years and I very much enjoy learning about the cultures and families throughout the world and this book fit the bill.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Real Americans by Rachel Khong. Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for this ARC. Late 1990s, New York City. Everyone is all worried about Y2K. Lily Chen is the daughter of Chinese born scientists. She’s working at a dead end job when she attends the holiday party. There she meets the rich and very white Matthew. Surprisingly, they fall in love. The novel then jumps to 2021 where we meet Nick. He lives on a small Washington island with his mother Lily. Nick wants to find out who is his biological father. Then we are brought to China in the 1960s during the time of Chairman Mao. The beginning of the novel had me hooked, but it fizzled out. Disappointing. #books #whatiread #bookstagram #reading #netgalley #rachelkhong #bookgram #bookworm #libbyapp #goodreads

Sweeping, mysterious, and powerful, REAL AMERICANS was a pleasant surprise and a new favorite. It's a love story, but it's also a story about what we're willing to do for our loved ones - particularly our children - and a meditation on what it means to be a 'real american' and who gets that right. Brilliant all around.

"I'd only wanted my daughter's life to be better than mine."

An amazing, heart-breaking story full of hope, mistakes, and the unflinching, complicated love of mothers. This story is broken in three parts, POV I wish I'd known before I started.

The first part feels like a love story about an unlikely couple. I felt swept up but also curious where the story was going. There are parts about family drama, power, money and race (and racism) - some that felt just below the surface while others were right there, plain in the story. I felt confused but I wanted to know more.

Part 2 will jump many years and bring to to the story of the child, Nick. This story will both give more depth to the first couple and their love story, but also shine a light on the previous generations just a bit. It also gives us more of this "time stop" sci-fi part of the story that always felt like it didn't quite belong but I liked the comparisons that are later given for it.

The final story goes all the way back to the beginning, just liked I'd hoped it would. The three stories will bring a full picture of a young couple who wanted more from life. A bright, young, hopeful couple that wanted to come to America and give their kids more. In their push to change their child's futures to look different than their own, every parent wonders - have I done all I could? Did I do more harm than good?

Can I ever be enough? Will my children ever forgive my faults and all my mistakes?

It was such a touching story and I appreciated the little sparks of humor in the midst of all the times my heart broke. I didn't realize I was so emotionally tied into the story until I felt tears looming as I neared the end and had to say goodbye. I will definitely look for more from this author!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the eARC.

I had yet to read Rachel Khong's work prior to Real Americans and when I tell you she is now top of my must read list, its the truth. This book spans three generations and was just so, so good.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong follows three generations of a family: the daughter of Chinese immigrants, Lily, her son, Nick, and her Chinese mother, Mei, who survived unspeakable trauma in her younger years in China before fleeing to the US. Because of Mei's traumas and her background, the choices she makes alters the lives of her family in different ways.

I feel like this book tackled a lot, and because of that I had a hard time fully grasping what the whole point of it all was.. I do think Mei's story tied things together to some degree and it was interesting to learn a bit about Chinese history during that time period. In general, I enjoy family dramas, so that aspect of the book really kept me going. This book has definitely made me think, I only wish I didn't feel so unsure of what I was supposed to be getting out of it.

I really enjoyed this three generation family saga told by three different family members - mother, daughter, grandson. The Chinese immigrant parents had high hopes for their daughter who never quite lives up to their expectation. She struggles to find her identity between two cultures and has a strained relationship with her mother. Her son senses that there are some dark family secrets and is determined to uncover them. Recommended!

I had adored Khong’s debut Goodbye, Vitamin and I’m a big fan of multigenerational stories, so this one was a highly anticipated read for me. The story is told in three parts with a separate perspective in each: Lily in 1999, Lily’s son Nick in 2021, and Lily’s mom Mei in 2030. I definitely liked the way the novel was framed even though the perspective switches came at frustrating times. I was intrigued by each perspective in different ways. While it served as a good way to make some points about who people want to become vs. who people are destined to be, I found some of the character choices baffling.

Beyond that I thought the story flowed well and figuring out the mysteries was satisfying. I was especially curious to find out Mei’s backstory and how everything came together in the end. I did however wish for a bit more depth in each of the topics the novel explored.