The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is one of the more unique novels I have read in a while. It is part historical fiction, part modern-day, and part science fiction that includes climate change complications.

In 1834, the real-life Afong Moy was the first known Chinese woman to immigrate to America. She spent approximately 17 years traveling across the United States performing under the name the “Chinese Lady.” Patrons were curious about her bound feet, clothing, the songs she sang, her make-up, etc. Author Jamie Ford uses Afong as inspiration for this novel about transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Afong’s female descendants apparently have inherited the trauma that Afong endured and each additionally passes some of their own traumas to the next generation.

The primary character is Dorothy Moy, who lives in Seattle, Washington in 2045. Dorothy’s crippling depression causes her to lose her academic position as well as the title of Washington’s poet laureate. When she notices her daughter, Annabelle, exhibiting some of the same behaviors Dorothy did as a child, she undergoes a new radical treatment to help her deal with her inherited trauma. In so doing, Dorothy is able to interact with Faye Moy, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers in 1942; Her own mother, Greta Moy, a tech executive who created a dating app in 2014; Zoe Moy, a student enamored by one of her teachers in 1927 England; Lai King Moy, a girl who barely escapes San Francisco during a plague in 1892; and of course, Afong Moy, the Chinese Lady. Dorothy realizes that each woman has a great love that is somehow denied. They all struggle with acceptance in a foreign land. In dealing with these past events Dorothy hopes to find the peace that has evaded the Moy women for generations.

4-stars. This novel was published on August 2, 2022. Many thanks to NetGalley and the Atria Marketing Team at Simon and Schuster for my advanced reader copy.

THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY. Jamie Ford has written an intriguing and fascinating book. My review could just be: wow. I delight in time travel and historical fiction done well and I have a real fascination with the idea that we may inherit ancestral behavior and emotional (what?) intelligence, for lack of a better word. I know I am the result of generations of breeding for successful ‘fleeing on time.” Those relatives that waited too long to leave did not survive. It’s no leap at all to accept the notion that I also inherited other less easily described ‘stuff’ somewhere on the border of memory and emotion. Author Jamie Ford plays with these ideas among a family of women, all of whom experience depression, loss and tragedy as they live constrained lives. This will make for fantastic book club discussions! I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I loved Jamie Ford's previous books, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is one of my all-time favorites! I was excited to see that Ford had a new book coming out, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy. This book looks at inherited multigenerational trauma through the telling of the stories of seven generations of women spanning 200 years.

Afong Moy was the first Chinese woman in America. She was paraded around the country as almost a side show exhibit. Lai King Moy is a girl quarantined in San Francisco during an epidemic. Zoe Moy is a student at a progressive English boarding school. Fay Moy is a nurse in WW2 China. Greta Moy is a computer coder and developer of a dating app. Dorothy is a poet living in Seattle in the near future 2045. We meet her and her young daughter, Annabelle.

I loved the storytelling aspect of the book along with the character development. I enjoyed learning about the about the interwoven stories of these women and the idea of how past lives can influence our current life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jamie Ford for the ARC of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy in return for my honest review.

This novel has a very interesting theme about epigenetics and generational trauma. I have done some reading on the subject and find it fascinating. My interest aside, I had a bit of a problem following along with the book with all the characters and the jumping back and forth in years/centuries. I found myself needing to take notes to keep track of all the names and details.

Overall this was an interesting read with valuable historical details about the discrimination and suffering that Chinese immigrants experienced in the USA---a subject that is not often spoken about and needs more attention brought to this distressing time of our American history.

The concept behind this novel is fascinating. Ford frames the narrative around the field of biology known as epigenetics--the idea that memories can be passed down from generation to generation through genes. Starting with Afong Moy--rumored to be the first Chinese woman to set foot on American soil--he traces the lives of seven generations of Moys and how their memories and traumas intertwine. It's a powerful book that examines the lives of these women, but also speaks to the universal hardships women face, including sexism, heartbreak, and misogyny.

All of the women in the Moy family are so vividly drawn, you form an emotional bond with each. However, it's Dorothy who is the one who keeps the story moving forward. Living in 2045 Seattle, she's suffering from episodes where she falls into the lives of the women from her family's past. Her boyfriend/father of her child becomes even more volatile and unyielding when she seeks out help from a practitioner of experimental treatment for epigenetic experiences.

I loved the stories of each woman and the exploration of shared trauma and emotion, yet the ending seemed too convenient to me. It was a shame because the stories of each women leading up to the ending were so engaging. I loved the peeks into the future Ford gave us, too, with the bits of the story that took place in 2045 and 2086. Even with the too-convenient ending, I really enjoyed this book and its clever premise. Absolutely recommend!

Jamie Ford is a longtime favorite, and this multi-generational family story did not disappoint. Slightly different than his previous books in that this one also goes into the future, this powerfully explores generational trauma and the legacies we inherit. This story is expansive, ambitious, and moving, and while I would have loved to spend more time with each of the characters featured it's probably already precisely as long as it needs to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book is heartbreaking in the most beautiful way. A wonderful cast of characters with depth and life. I specifically love the explorations of intergenerational trauma and epigenetics.

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is historical fiction loosely based on the first Chinese woman to come to America in the 1800s. The book follows many generations of Afong's descendents, exploring how experiences, loss, and trauma reverberate through generations in very literal and true ways.

White I had to refer to the family tree a few times, the story is quite easy to follow despite the jumping around in time. Each character had a distinct story and presence and there wasn't one storyline I wasn't interested in. I enjoyed tracing plot lines through each ancestor and the author's answer to the question of who is the captain of one's own ship.

Everything Jamie Ford writes is a masterpiece! I absolutely adore his stories. He is a truly gifted storyteller.
It was worth the wait!

Epigenetics—I didn’t even know it is a real thing. I love a novel that is interesting to read and shares fascinating knowledge at the same time. Epigenetics studies trauma or other strong emotions that are passed down through generations in a family. In this story, characters from the 1800s through the 2080s are connected by such a trauma. Each gets a chapter or two, enough to form a connection with the reader, before the entire saga is brought together in a satisfying conclusion. The writing is filled with lines of poetry with lots of hope for the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster/Atria Books for the ARC to read and review.

This book was complex and beautiful. It is the story of many mothers and daughters connected by memories and experiences through seven generations

The plot is based on epigenetics, which is the theory that we are genetically connected to our ancestors’ memories and experiences; something I had never heard of before.

It took me a while to get into the story probably because it is told through seven characters’ POVs. About midway through, I couldn’t stop reading; I was hooked! I especially enjoyed that the book is based on a real person.

There is much sadness and cruelty throughout the book as history is not kind to Afong Moy and the generations that follow. There is also a touch of dystopian glimpse into the future where the Pacific NW is plagued with horrible Typhoons.

I recommend you give this unique and lyrical book a try.

4.5 rounded up

What a wonderful, complicated story! There are a lot of characters, all descendants of Afong Moy. They each live their lives—some having an easy time of it, others having to endue hard times. They all experience some drama and stress but they manage to get through it. What strong women they all are!

This story shows us how interconnected we are to our past. How much of the experiences and traumas that our ancestors went through manifest in our own lives? Dorothy sees some of her issues starting to exhibit in her young daughter. As she seeks answers to her problems to help herself, and her daughter, she connects with the women in her family who have gone before her. Understanding them will only help herself and give everyone some peace.

Like I said this was a bit complicated considering all the different time frames and the various characters but stick with it. The ending was extremely satisfyingly for me and I came away with a feel-good feeling. I'm so glad I read this book. Jamie Ford has done it again!

Jamie Ford is a master storyteller! I fell in love with Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet several years ago. I really looked forward to reading The Many Daughters of Afong May which is a story that takes place over seven generations of Afong Moy’s family. Afong is believed to be the first Chinese woman to enter the United States in 1836. Afong has bound feet. (Having read Lisa See’s excellent book, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I could really appreciate the difficulties of bound feet.) Dorothy, a poet, is the seventh generation. Living in Seattle in 2045, she decides to investigate her emotional trauma by visiting an experimental epigenetic clinic where Dr. Shedhorn, a Native American, puts the patient under to explore trauma of previous generations. I really liked the stories of the seven women that we meet throughout the book. I was partial to Faye’s and Greta’s stories. My appreciation for this book began when I stopped after reading Act I and set the book aside. I had trouble remembering which character belonged to which story. After a few days I decided to give it another try by taking notes and making a family tree. This is a book to read slowly (not a beach read). I finished the book a couple of weeks ago, and I cannot stop thinking about it. I think it would be an excellent book club choice for a group who has been together for awhile. I look forward to another Jamie Ford book. My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

At first, I found this book hard to follow, since essentially it has 7 different main characters. Each chapter featured a new character from a different generation for the first 7 chapters of the book, then rotated between them. They are not daughters of Afong Moy, except for one of the characters. However, they are descendants which caused some confusion for me since the title infers they are her daughters. The heart of the book was about epigenetics, but that doesn't come into play until much later in the book. Epigenetics put in simplified terms is the study of how your body can read DNA sequencing differently and how that can be passed on to further generations. So if something traumatic happens to you, future generations may hold a fear of something but not know why they are afraid of it.

I liked the concept of the book, but I think it could have been told better. It was a long story, and then the whole thing was wrapped up neatly and quickly which caused me to question what had just happened. I do think it would make an interesting book club book for science-minded readers.

Jamie Ford can write, and he knows how to craft a story that can resonate with its readers and pull at their heartstrings. Ford refuses to settle for trite and familiar plots, pushing into new, imaginative terrain. In The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, he addresses epigenetics and generational trauma, asking readers to wrestle between hope and despair. Afong and each subsequent daughter's story is vivid and visceral. Seven women's stories are told in interchanging chapters, and each has moments of tension, danger, fear, and opportunity. They are set across generations, as early as 1892 and as late as 2086.

What impact does our history and generational hardships have on us? Are we destined to similar struggles, are our paths set, or can we alter our future? What we inherit shapes us, but it need not dictate our lives. This entire book is haunting and lingers with you. It gripped me from the dedication on ("This book is for anyone with a complicated origin story. I feel you."). It is a beautiful, provocative book.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy was lyrical and absolutely beautiful. It has a very unique concept- I have never read anything like it before! It focuses on generational trauma, which I found fascinating. I love historical fiction and I think this was really well done in that aspect, plus adding the generational trauma made it unputdownable. I am very impressed with this book and can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance reader's copy of this novel.

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is one of those books that everyone will describe as "sweeping" and "epic" and they will be absolutely right. Jamie Ford tells the story of several generations of one family, all women characters, and we are taken from the 1800s to the 2080s. I love a book with several narrative voices, especially one that jumps around in time, so this book was right up my alley. It's also beautifully written and unlike anything I've read before. Actually, while it is unique in many ways, it also reminded me very much of another new book I recently read: Five Part-Invention by Andrea Buchanan. That book also jumped around in time, with several female characters dealing with generational trauma. There are certainly similarities between the two books, but they are both well done and worth reading.

The premise that more connects us with our ancestors than the lines on a family tree is not new. There have been many books that included the premise under differing names. Collective memories are real. There are examples of it throughout time and history. Jamie Ford picks up the baton and runs with it in THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY.

The historical investigation is begun when a young mother who has debilitating periods of depression and sadness sees signs of her mental health struggles in her 5 yr old daughter. Determined to make her daughter's life better than her own, she agrees to an experimental treatment plan. This is the beginning back story to the historical unwinding of Chinese immigrants to America and how the women were treated. While the concept may confuse many, the stories of Afong Moy and her descendants is uniquely fascinating. Past, present and future will all roll past this young mother and her daughter while educating and entertaining readers. It is very hard to say exactly how much I enjoyed this book. It is most definitely not a "light" read. But it will cause many a conversation in book clubs and be shared by many women who recognize and question some of the events in their lives. Are we doomed to repeat history?

Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is one of my all-time favorite books. With that being said, when I found out @jamieford was releasing a new book I immediately requested it on Netgalley. Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the eARC.

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy starts off with Ford explaining where he wanted to go with this book. Have you ever heard of epigenetics? Yea, I hadn’t either.

Epigenetics is the idea that parents pass along certain proclivities based upon experiences in their own life. Not genetics, actual experiences within their own lifetime. For example, Holocaust survivors’ decedents tend to have a higher likelihood for PTSD, depression and anxiety.

This books starts off with a woman named Afong Moy (based upon a real woman) who is brought to America. A side show where people would pay to see “The Chinese Lady” with bound feet. Her life isn’t a pretty one and this book follows her generational line all the way down six more generations to Annabel.

There are times where this story is a little hard to follow. For this reason, I highly recommend buddy reading this one or participating in a book club discussion. I buddy read this book with @keepingyouonread and we both benefited from discussing certain aspects of the story. Especially the ending. If & when you read this book, please share your thoughts on the ending!

Each generation has epigenetic trauma from the previous and that compounds with her own trauma experiences. Dorothy is willing to do anything to keep this cycle from continuing on with her 5 year old daughter, Annabel.

I love Jamie Ford’s writing, you feel fully immersed in the story. There’s only one book of his that I haven’t read, Love and Other Consolation Prizes…I need to remedy that soon!

In the meantime, happy publication day for The Many Daughters of Afong Moy! I recommend this one even if I didn’t love it quite as much as Hotel in the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Still a solidly good read with a highly unique premise and exquisite writing.

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford is a story that spans generations and across time. Dorothy Moy channels her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her poetry. When her daughter, Annabel, begins to exhibit the same behaviors and starts to remember the lives of their ancestors, Dorothy decides to seek radical help. Not wanting her daughter to suffer from the same depression she does, Dorothy agrees to an experimental treatment designed to weaken inherited trauma. Through this treatment, she connects with past generations of women in her family. From Faye Moy, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers, to Lai King Moy, a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic to Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America. She also discovers that in each time period, someone is looking for her. Someone who has loved her through her genetic memories. Can she break the cycle of pain and find peace for herself and her daughter?
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a very difficult book to read. Jumping back and forth through time from 1836 to 2085 and five different points of view, the main theme of the story is the idea of epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of heritable phenotype changes that occur but do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence. In simple terms, it is the study of how behaviors and environment change the way genes work. Even simpler, it is trauma that is passed on like a physical trait. I understand the concept but I feel that it is more family dynamics and behaviors are altered and then passed down rather than through DNA itself. I’ve read other books that use this idea. The jumping back and forth was confusing and disorientating. There was very little opportunity to get an understanding of a character before it was off to another. Overall, I did not enjoy The Many Daughters of Afong Moy even though the premise intrigued me. I do not recommend The Many Daughters of Afong Moy.

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook