I found Real Americans both fascinating and at times kind of boring. There were times where it was powerful and times it focused on the mundane. It tells the story of three generations of the same family, staring with the mother Lily, then moving on to her son Nick, before tracing back to Lily's mother May as she forms a relationship with the grandson she's estranged from. There's a part of me that understands why Khong saves May for the last section, but there's a part of me that feels like I would have interpreted Lily's relationship with her mother in a completely different way if I had known about the life she led in communist China and the relationships she had with two different men. A storyline that doesn't get a lot of attention but causes the fracturing of the relationship between Lily and her husband is the idea of gene editing, and editing for the genes desired to be expressed. I wish Khong had explored this more. Matthew, Lily's husband, is also a hard one to figure out for me. He seems at times to find his family's money repugnant. But then he goes into the family business. He seems desperate to have a relationship with Nick but can blow him off and shuts himself away from the problems of his younger son Sam. I also feel like Lily's part of the story ends abruptly, and even though we see some of why she made the decisions she did from Nick's perspective, her thoughts, feelings and opinions seem to disappear entirely while still having a profound effect on her family. I see why other people could really enjoy this book, but I think I would have liked it better if it had been arranged differently. It also felt like it was really long, but I tend to feel this way with books that are character studies and relationship based. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a multigenerational novel told in three parts, told by a mother, her daughter and grandson. It starts with the daughter, then her son, then her mother. I felt some of the changes between the narrators were abrupt which made it difficult for me to engage fully with them. However, I enjoyed reading of their hardships and successes, and how they assimilated into American culture. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Real Americans
Rachel Khong
April 30, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This novel has so many fascinating and beautiful layers, that I can’t even begin to describe how engrossed I felt with the novel. It is a book about the human soul and connections. It is a multigenerational and atmospheric novel with engrossing storytelling, a dash science, and deep secrets. If you like stories like Pachinko, this book will immerse you in their family’s lives.

This story follows three Chinese American main characters spanning over 70 years. It takes us through 1960’s communist China to the future of 2030’s, Silicone Valley.

It is a sweeping saga about fortune, fate, and desire.

The story starts in 1999 where we meet Lily. The MC has the pressures of starting a life and has difficulty finding purpose. She’s trying to find herself and navigate life in the complex city of Manhattan. She has a complicated mother daughter relationship and keeps her job and financial insecurities to herself whenever she asks how she’s doing. Lily meets Matthew at her company Xmas party where he wins a TV. Lily seems to know that luck just doesn’t happen for her. With a lot of awkwardness, these two hit it off. The whole time she’s with him, she seems unsure of herself by his side and thoughts of not being worthy enough for him start making her believe that she doesn’t belong with him. She ghosts him. She goes through life trying to make something of herself and continues to struggle financially, in her career, and with loneliness. Some years later, she is surprised to see him again at a function, yet embraces being with him again. This time they’re both in it for the long haul. Lily’s relationship with her mother comes up and we see Lily try to deal with her daughter guilt of somehow feeling like she let her mother down. Lily is convinced her mother isn’t happy with her decision of getting married. Lily feels she has led her mother down by not becoming something bigger in life or falling in her own mother’s footsteps as a scientist. Matthew also has a complicated history with his family. They try to conceive and promise to be different with their child. Conceiving the child proves to be difficult for the couple. Once the child arrives, things change drastically as she feels a need to be over protective.

The story then jumps to 2021. Their child, Nick, grows up and starts to have questions about his father. He is navigating similar things like his mother. There’s the awkwardness of High school and not fitting in. There’s only one friend he has. And the immense feelings of not feeling good enough for college and again not fitting in and isolation. He grew up without his father and little by little with the help of his maternal grandmother learns the reason why. He finally meets his father, but has never felt comfortable enough with him to form a good relationship with. He learns of a half brother. He tries to live with these feelings and tries to make something for himself knowing life has thrown him this. His half brother has his own jealousy towards him. We feel the complexity between the father-son relationship.

In 2030, May, Lily’s mother tells her POV. She is seen earlier in the book with a bit of mystery to her relationship with her daughter. We all want to know what did she do? She’s been following her grandson, Nick, since her daughter cast her aside. Nick notices one day and wants answers so he agrees to hear her story. She takes us through her rough childhood in China and how hard she worked to get into a university even with everything stacked against her. She takes us through China’s revolution and how she was forced to choose between love and living. Eventually, she makes her way to America where she continues to work as a scientist focusing in epigenetic work. She wants the best for her daughter and makes a decision that will alter not only her daughter’s future, but have lasting consequences for herself and family too.

I knew I was going to have a book hangover. I could feel myself getting close to the character’s storylines. I was invested. You can feel Lily’s love for Matthew and her son. At times, lyrical writing was moving. We feel the love between the characters. This is a thought provoking with the ideology of what it means to be American, the American dream, genetics, destiny, multigenerational wealth, loneliness, and our parents hopes and dreams for us, just to name a few themes. This book is perfection for those looking for deeper, moving novels that will leave you thinking about the character long after you finish it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the 3 POV's of this intergenerational Chinese-American family.
That part I loved. The struggles each endured, the wins, the effort to fit in.
The race, class, family, inheritance, etc. Very well written and really enjoyed that aspect.
Although I didn't get the magic side of it. It just didn't seem necessary.
It felt like it was just thrown in there, without any real depth to it.
I also enjoyed the science and genetics. Kind of scary to think about, actually. Very interesting.
Give it a try! I really liked the author's writing style.
I look forward to reading her other novels

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Khong's sophomore novel REAL AMERICANS poses the reader with the question who is a "REAL American." Told in three sections, this a multigenerational look at a Chinese American woman named Lily, her son Nick, and Lily's mother Mei/May. Each of the characters narrates a section of the book (although the third section ends up being narrated by Nick as well as Mei). The first and second sections end rather abruptly, which might frustrate some readers. I had some problems with Nick's section, where the story didn't seem to unfold in an authentic way and felt a little forced to tie the first and third sections together.

There is a lot in this novel, so much that the novel has an identity crisis as much as the main characters (i.e., the immigrant experience told as historical fiction, science fiction with the epigenetics, the time construct with the magical elements that aren't ever fleshed out, etc.). I did like this novel better than Khong's debut GOODBYE, VITAMIN. Others have said this would make a book club selection. I disagree. I am in two in-person book clubs, and I can't see this one landing well in either one. That's not to say it's not a good book. I think it very much is, but it will have to search for its ideal reader more than the standard airport novel.

I realize that my tone may come across as negative, which isn't at all the case. I do like to caution readers where they might go sideways with a book. Switching gears, there are a lot of things I did really enjoy about this novel:
* I liked the three main characters as individuals. They are doing the best they can with the options they have.
* In most of the book, the text stays core to the "Real Americans" theme. I liked the additional layer of choice (epigenetics) added to the considerations for being "Real Americans" in the third section.
* I do appreciate learning things, including science, in a novel. I'm not sure how close the science discussed in this novel reflects where we are scientifically speaking. I appreciated how this element propelled my thoughts and reflections.
* I really liked the beginning of the third section that is historical fiction. It gives great context. I'm sure the author considered starting the novel with this, and I see why she chose to structure the novel differently than chronologically.
* I think this will be a memorable read.

I tried to get into this but I couldnt engage. The writing was good but the character’s voices didn’t resonate with me so I had a hard time connecting to the story.

Loved this multi generational story of family, culture and what it means to be American. Ot was a fast read filled with compelling stories and thought provoking questions. What makes you American? What would you do to help the ones you love? What sacrifices would you make for others? I love the way historical events were woven into the years. This would make an excellent boom club read - lots to discuss!

Beautiful storytelling across three generations. Khong does an incredible job weaving the stories of Lily, Nick, and and Mei. In the process, we face questions of fate, genetics, and identity. There were times that points in the story felt somewhat unresolved, as the book had already transitioned to the next character's story. However, overall loved this book and the telling of a family's story.

Top new favorite. Lyrical, taut, devastating and unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Just read it. Now!!

I received a free ebook from Netgalley for an honest review. This was my first book from Rachel Khong. The book started out really strong for me.

The book was divided into 3 different stories. I loved the story of Lily. I was hooked. I was disappointed when it was over. I would have given this story 5 stars

I really liked the story of Nick. I was really into the story. I was sad when the story was over. I would give it 5 stars.

The story of Mei was hard for me. She was so different from the other characters. It took me a long time to get into her story. Her story was such a long period of time. It was from different demographics.

This part of the story went from different points of view. I had such a hard time with the story. I had a difficult time with so MUCH that happened with her.

The first 2 stories I read really quickly. I really wanted to know what happens next. I truly lost interest in Mei's story. It took me a long time to finish the book.

Luckily, the book has short chapters. The chapters are divided into even smaller sections. It is pretty easy to read.

I want to read the authors next book. I do find her to be a very good author.

This story begins in Beijing, 1966 with a brief glimpse of the story of a stolen seed,
but within those two pages is a glimpse of what is to come during the years that follow in the stories of a family shared through three generations. The struggles they have, the upheaval of the government, and their individual struggles in regard to family. Deception, and the repercussions once the deception is revealed factors heavily in this story. What to reveal, as well as how it should be shared - slowly over time or all at once.

Like many other family sagas, this is shared through multiple generations, and in this particular story it is also shared through multiple places and themes. Overall, a large percentage of this is devoted to science, although it does not go into much detail, there is some devoted to new scientific projects for the betterment of all mankind, which, if you are not interested in scientific progress, genetics and ethics, especially as it relates to family, this may not sound interesting - until you read it.


Pub Date: 30 Apr 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf

I loved this book. I loved how exploring each new generation deepened our understanding of the relationships we explored before. I loved the exploration of American and Chinese identity. And I loved how it was written, I just flew through it!

I had mixed feelings about this book as we journeyed through the different character’s perspectives. I very much fit right into the jelly/jam layer of the sandwich without the second gen experience. We begin in NYC in a Sex and the City era rom-com world in which two twenty something’s from the opposite side of the bridge make a connection. Then, we find the story shifting focus to a conscientious young man who discovers his family’s involvement in heritable human genome editing. His story reveals the stakes that this budding branch of science has at various scales, societal and intergenerational. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
I struggled most with how articulately penitential May was. My experience so far has shown that many times people are sorry for the way they may have treated a loved one, but rarely do they see it with such clarity especially from the other’s perspective without still holding on to some level of resentment for being misunderstood, themselves. I could hear the subtle judgements, the way May describes the female doctor with the Asian last name as taller than typical. That tendency for women, especially, to be telling a story about a life and death situation, and to pull the listener right out of it by offering an extraneous detail describing the physicality of another woman. Both her act of judging, recalling and retelling this detail is so painfully and laughably real. This constant comparison and weighing of virtues and values is what made genome editing so appealing to May in the first place - so I found her voice very clear in this instance.

Thanks for this advance copy. I loved this book! I just read it in a day, so it's so good. If you are looking for a book to inmerse you as much as you forget about the outside world, this is it!

I loved the writing so much, but there were definitely parts of this book that worked better for me than others. I saw a lot of reviews that weren’t as interested in Lily’s story, but that set the rest of it all up, and I really liked her part. The middle part of Nick’s was probably my favorite, though - so much of the coming of age, grappling with the choices your parents made; and knowing Lily’s story added so much depth there. The last section, about May (Lily’s mom) didn’t work as well for me, but that’s possibly because it’s the exact type of historical fiction that isn’t my favorite. If you like reading about Communism and science, it’ll be your jam. Either way, it was such a lovely, solid book that kept me entranced, and the ending is perfect.

Gorgeous. Masterful. Unforgettable. I have never read anything like this. Rachel Khong is a wonderful writer and this is a story that will surely connect with so many people. What a literary gift to us readers!

I don't have much to add to the other excellent reviews on this book except that Real Americans broke me out of a months long reading rut. While most of us may not be able to relate to being courted by a Matthew this is a very readable book with universal themes of identity struggles.

I picked up this ARC because I heard good things about Goodbye Vitamin; I'll be reading that one as well and be on the lookout for Khong's other works.

This is a family saga spanning three generations told by three different characters at three points in time. Each character's section reveals a bit more about this family and their struggles, but there are themes that run through all three: the parent who wants the best for their child but struggles with how involved in that child's life to get, the repercussions of the decisions a parent makes with regard to their child, and the many facets of identity and how they play a role in fitting in (or not) in a given society. While there were some strands of the plot I wanted more of, I really enjoyed this book and think it would make for great discussions because of some of the moral and ethical questions it raises.

I received this book from NetGalley and Knopf in return for an honest review. This book will be published May 30, 2024.

I absolutely loved Goodbye, Vitamin so I had to read this one too and it was so different. The story is told in three parts. Lily, her son and Lily's mother. Without giving too much away I'll say that it's a coming of age story about Nick who is the son of Lily and Matthew but when we meet Nick he has no idea who his father is. The story is character driven mostly but it read quickly for me. Nick goes through betrayal and navigating the feeling of feeling so alone and being second to his half brother, Sam. The only thing that didn't work well for me was the science part where Lily's mother is a scientist looking to make vaccines to help people not have diseases etc. I feel like that kind of took away from the story but I enjoyed it anyway.