“Hearing a story — what did it accomplish? Nothing and everything.”

So much of our lives are out of our control, from where we are born to who our parents are. We didn’t choose to take after our father's eyes or our mother’s height. We didn’t choose to be born in a country with inherent privilege, while others were born in a country of immense repression and political turmoil. Or a family where I love you is said freely without hesitation, while for others, it can only be expressed through tough love.

All of these things make it difficult to accept how little agency we have in our lives. How much is fate, and what is within our control?

“But what if I’d been born someone else, a place where, whoever you were, you could make your own choices? That was all I wanted. Not a grand wish, just a fair one.”

‘Real Americans’ is split into three parts, following three generations within a family. We are taken across 70 years—from China during Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward to New York during Y2K and 2030, a not-so-distant future.

We see what happens when one decision to claim control of your family sends a rippling wave of consequences that question what lengths are justified for love and the common good. And what is exercising control beyond the boundaries of ethics?

This story is why I love multigenerational family sagas. In real life, we do not know all the decisions and circumstances that led to who our parents and grandparents are. We are forced to find answers to the secrets kept and the untold stories. So, it feels like a refreshing opportunity to be presented with a full lineage and see each generation blend into the next. My compassion often expands, and my criticisms are reduced.

I’m intentionally keeping the plot and characters vague as I think this story is best to know as little as possible and experience and uncover as you go.

So many things stood out to me—starting with the relationship with time and whether intentions can redeem the harm of one's actions. Hearing someone’s intentions makes you feel so much but changes so little. The veil and consequences of propaganda are strong in every country, whether we realize it or not.

This story has a lot of love, and all the different forms and shapes were hopeful and heartbreaking. Lastly, as the daughter of immigrant parents, the immigrant experience I always feel very emotional reading, and in this case, hearing about the Chinese diaspora was equally emotional and very layered.

“But it was a mistake, believing you could choose for someone else, no matter how well-intentioned you might be.”

I don’t think I’ve universally felt so much empathy for each main character in a story before. I have only positive things to say! I loved the ending. Every time I reflect, I pick up on something else I love. I cannot wait for more people to read.

I really enjoyed this unique story with science fiction elements. I loved the characters, and the plot unwound in a way that kept me intrigued, and ultimately made sense.

Lily struggles to find her place in the workforce after graduating from college, but she’s stuck as an unpaid intern doing graphic design work. Her parents May and Charles, first generation Americans who fled China, are scientists who don’t understand a daughter who is not interested in science herself, but such is the plight of many a young person striking out on their own. At a company party, she meets Matthew, an investment banker and the nephew of her boss, and they strike up a surprising friendship that turns into something more. Lily is swept into the glittering world of the ultrarich, where she is exposed to privilege beyond anything she could imagine. Matthew’s father Otto is the scion of Maier Pharmaceuticals, a company and legacy that Matthew has separated himself from for some reason. The couple hit rocky times as a result of personal hangups and insecurities around differing racial and socio-economic backgrounds, and they split up. They meet again after a long period of time, and recognize that despite their differences, they belong together. When Lily’s parents finally meet Matthew’s father and stepmother, it’s not until the day of the wedding. It’s only when Lily gives birth to their son, Nicholas, that Lily understands her parents and Otto Maier know each other, and that there is more to this story, hidden depths that will force Lily to make a life-altering decision.

I loved the flow of this story. While my summary of Lily’s section is relatively fluid, the book’s timeline eddies and curves around hidden histories. Part one tells Lily’s story; part two is about Nicholas; and part three is about May. It is only in the closing chapters of the book that the reader has a decent map of what has happened in these lives. The themes move from racial identity and white privilege to the fallout from China’s Cultural Revolution to the ethics of genetic modification. Khong displays an incredible ability to pace the story around each of the characters so that the reader can empathize with and scrutinize their actions in light of the historical context, then reframe this emotional response to encompass the revealed landscape. Added to this mix is a beautiful seed of magic. It’s been weeks since I finished this book, and I’m still finding my way around the symbolism in the lotus seed and its gift.

Reader Advisory: If you don’t know anything about the history of China, specifically around the Cultural Revolution, do yourself a favor and study up. The book will take you there, but you will benefit from developing your cultural competency by reading more about it.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and Netgalley for access to the ARC. All opinions stated here are my own, and I don’t receive any remuneration for my review.

I am a super fan of Khong’s novel Goodbye, Vitamin and I was very eager to read Real Americans. It begins with a snippet of May’s life in 1966 Beijing during Mao’s Cultural revolution. She’s stealing a lotus seed from a museum. Part one is told from May's daughter, Lily’s point of view who is American-born, living in New York working at a crappy job with a micro-aggressive, racist boss. At an office party, she meets Matthew: confident, worldly, who sweeps her off her feet, although Lily is cautious of his wealth. In part two we move to Nick's point of view. He is Lily’s fifteen-year-old son who lives in the Pacific Northwest. It's 2021. Nick learns about his estranged father’s identity through genetic testing and after connecting with him, shifts his life trajectory. In part three we return to May in Beijing and discover how she ended up immigrating to the United States. The structure reminded me a bit of Chloe Benjamin’s The Immortalists; each main character has a section that carries through and once we leave them, we only see them through other characters’ points of view. This is a novel about cultural and national identity and the ways in which the repercussions of choices are passed along to the next generation. Overall, an enjoyable read. Thank you to Knopf and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

Long multigenerational family sagas are some of my most favorite books so I had high hopes for Real Americans. Sadly I was left feeling cold with no real connection to any of the characters. A lot of significant life events were skipped over in a few sentences putting me at a further distance from the characters and lacking any understanding about their motivations. So much of the writing was lacking introspection and read like fact after fact. I think the exploration of race and class dynamics could've been handled with a lot more nuance too. The sci-fi element also felt really unnecessary and gimmicky and I think it would've been a stronger story without it. All of that said, there were some glimmers of hope but ultimately I can't help feeling like this didn't live up to the potential. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to review.

I had not read this author's prior works before but after reading this, I will need to go back and read her backlist titles. This was a wonderful journey of a book. A story of family drama, family secrets and reckonings spun out over multiple generations and locations. This is a story of identity and of what makes you who you are. It's told through three viewpoints, each belonging to a single member of each generation of a family torn apart by heavy secrets that are revealed and come together bit by bit as the story unfolds. I just loved the structure of this story. The writing was excellent and it was easy to read. I liked how the reveals came when they did and I found each of the viewpoints fascinating in their own right.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for providing me an ARC for review!

Real Americans by Rachel Khong blew me away with its beautiful writing and honest portrayal of a family that suffers from the consequences of their actions.

The book is told through three parts. In the first part Lily and Matthew fall in love at the turn of the millennium, and it appears they will live happily ever after, but their happy ending is not to be. The second part begins with teenager Nick living on an isolated island in Washington with his single mother. Part three is the story of Mei, Lily's mother and Nick's grandmother. From 1965 to present day, this section sheds light on some of the plot points of the first part. I appreciated the order in which the story was told because it made some earlier things make sense.

The characters felt real and compelling as they each grew and changed over the course of the story. The touch of magical realism was subtle enough that if felt natural to the story. The resolution felt satisfying without being too pat.

I loved the writing, as evidenced by the many passages I highlighted. The book was a little philosophical and really made me think. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I will recommend this to readers who like literary fiction and family sagas.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor along with NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Khong's writing voice is striking, beautiful, and so needed. You can tell the care and thought that went into writing this book.
The sweeping world that toes the line of fantasy and real life is enthralling and immersive. I fell in love with the world and it's characters.
This book both broke my heart and made it soar!

Multi generational plots are hard to keep interesting, and Real Americans is just… average. I didn’t feel much of an emotional connection to anyone in the family, it felt like I was just watching things happen to them and think this would have been a much stronger story if it took place within a tighter timeline.

Multigenerational epic family saga that had me turning pages. Told in three parts. The first part takes place in the 2000’s and tells the love story of Lily and Matthew. Lily is a first generation Chinese American and the daughter of two scientists. Matthew is from an extremely wealthy family. They marry and have a son together. In the second part, 15 years later Lily is no longer with Matthew and she is raising her son Nicky alone. What happened to their relationship? The last part tells May’s (Lily’s mother) story from childhood in China to immigrating to America and everything weaves together. Wonderful read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the copy of Real Americans by Rachel Khong. This book started out great, but in the end wasn’t for me. I loved the bones of the story but there were parts that felt unnecessary and made the story longer without really adding anything to it. I also found the timelines confusing and I wish the chapters had shown the dates. I loved the way things wrapped up though and it made me wonder how the relationships evolved later! 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Real Americans is a thought-provoking novel about three generations of a Chinese- American family. Would you change your destiny if you could, your genetic past? This is told from 3 POV's spanning time and place - Lily, Nick, and Mei. I was so invested in what happens to all three of these characters, and it all comes together in the end in a beautiful way. This book turned out to be much more than I expected, in the best possible way. I look forward to reading more from Rachel Khong, and plan to read her debut novel very soon!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC.

Real Americans tackles complex topics like the immigrant experience, racial identity and the meaning of love and family. In a story told through three POVs this sweeping family drama was unforgettable. It was on the longer side but the writing was exquisite and the characters will stay with me for a long time. This is definitely on the literary fiction side and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4.5 stars but rounding up.

Thank you to Netgalley & Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for the advanced reader copy.

Multi generational book from 3 POV.
It started better for me than it finished.
Don’t want to share too much about the plot, but I will say it was enjoyable read and thought provoking.

Rachel Khong’s second book was worth the wait. And feels very different from Goodbye, Vitamin (which I also loved). This longish book spans three generations, but with gaps in time, and not always linear. The book opens with Lily, in pre 9/11 NYC, figuring out adulthood after graduating from college. She is the only daughter of Chinese immigrants, though she is a bit disconnected from her Chinese culture. She doesn't know much about her mom, and similarly, Lily’s son is unaware of his mother’s past.

This book is equal parts Lily’s story, her mother’s story, and her son’s story. It is beautiful and sad, and sometimes slow, but always good.

Thanks Netgalley for the arc of this book.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a multi-generational, multiple POV study in race, privilege, and destiny. Khong begins the novel on the cusp of 2000, introducing us to smart, yet directionless, intern Lily Chen. Raised by two scientists who fled China during the Cultural Revolution, Lily is untethered- interning at a media/ PR company, but not really invested in the job and disillusioned by the notion of family. Lily‘s mother, Mei, raised Lily as if it was a chore- emotionally distant and desperate to avoid any mention of China and her life ‚before‘. Still working as a scientist, Mei goes through the motions of life- something mirrored in Lily at the beginning of the novel. Lily ends up meeting Matthew, the very wealthy son of a pharmaceutical scion. They fall in love- though all is not always well. Class, privilege, race- all play a big part in the journey Lily and Matthew embark on. When the story shifts to 2021, Lily is now a single-mother living on the West Coast and the novel shifts to her son‘s POV. Nick searches, and finds, his father and begins a correspondence with him. The series of events that follows from their connection is one of love, loss, and regret. Nick eventually finds his estranged grandmother as well, and this leads to a shocking revelation of how all of their lives were shaped by decisions made decades before. The discovery of which leaves Lily, Matthew, Nick, and Mei to question whether destiny brought them all together or were the wheels already in motion before Lily and Matthew ever met.

Khong does a wonderful job of creating a world that is believable and honest. The characters are well-rounded and developed in way that when the „big reveal“ happens, it is (mostly) plausible. I say mostly because I, personally, was taken out of the novel at the point of the reveal- it was so left field and, to me, did not fit with the narrative that had developed before. But, Khong treats this shift so eloquently, that I could return to the world without too much trouble. Real Americans truly delivered a read that was enjoyable in a way I haven’t experienced in a while. It is a refreshing read- intellectual without being too high-brow; narrative driven without being too cliche or sappy. I definitely recommend this one if you are looking for something a bit more than a rom-com, YA, fantasy, historical fiction vibe. It is truly a piece of contemporary fiction. 4/5 on the rating scale. Thank you to @NetGalley for the eARC in return for my honest feedback.

Mei, Lily and Nick are three generations of the same family. All are trying to find their place in America. Mei was born in Mao's China. She became a brilliant scientist despite obstacles she had to overcome. She was able to flee China with her spouse and settle in America. Later she would give birth to their daughter Lily. Despite a good education Lily becomes an unpaid intern. Soon she meets Matthew and falls in love. They marry and soon have a son, Nick. Nick looks nothing like Lily which causes many questions. When Lily finds the horrific reason Nick looks Caucasian, she flees her marriage, disowns her parents and moves to the west coast. Nick has many unanswered questions and seeks the answers with his estranged father and grandmother. Lily leads a quiet life but really doesn't fit in. Are Mei, Lily and Nick real Americans? Read the novel and form your own opinion. Rachel Khong has written a thought-provoking book which will hold you long after reading the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to read this fascinating novel prior to publication.

The book is divided into three sections, each narrated by a different character.
Lily's POV is her life in NYC after graduating college, surviving 9/11, and getting a job at a magazine, which is how she meets Matthew. Lily and Matthew end up married and after several miscarriages, successfully have a baby. After Nick's birth, Lily discovers her parents and Matthew's parents had been keeping a dark secret from them.
Next, we find Nick during his senior year of high school in the PNW, where he finally discovers who is father is and meets him, all without Lily's knowledge. Nick uses Matthew to get into and pay for Yale. After an internship with his father, Nick severs the relationship.
Finally, Lily's mother Mei gives her side of the story to Nick, how she escaped communist China, met Nick's father's father and started working for him to create medication to smother undesirable genes and emphasize the healthier or more desirable traits.
Lily's feelings of betrayal, since the medicine was used on her, is why she left NYC and cut off Matthew and her parents.
I love intergenerational stories that show the domino effects of an ancestor or grandparent's decision and how it affects future generations. This story reminds me of Under the Banyan Moon.

This book is fantastic! I was completely sucked into the world Khong created. I loved the order in which we get the different stories. Hearing May's story last was really powerful. Just like in real life, there are not tidy forgivenesses and traumas leave scars, but the strength of love and family ties do come through. I loved each character's unique struggle with identity and how they were all linked. I loved the hint of magical realism that doesn't take you out of the story. There is also some interesting exploration of bioengineering technologies and the ethics involved. I read this book with eyeballs, but I think it would make an excellent audiobook and when it comes out I will probably check out the audio as well.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy for review purposes.

I really loved this book. The first part (Lily) felt disconnected and I felt it lacked depth. There was a lot of “tell” and little “show” for her love story with Matthew. But the last two sections more than made up for it. Nick and May’s parts were beautiful, contemplative, and raw. Definitely recommend!