Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a novel brimming with potential. I went in blind and, at first, was a little disappointed. It looked like it might be a generic romance where a billionaire inexplicably falls for an intern. Thankfully, it grew into something richer and more satisfying.

Told in three distinct voices, the book spans generations: Lily, the daughter of Chinese immigrants; her son, Nick, who does not look Chinese at all; and Lily’s mother, May, who recounts her harrowing experiences during the Maoist revolution and her journey to America.

Through these perspectives, Khong explores identity, belonging, time, and how much control we truly have over either. The story was immersive, and I found myself pulled into each perspective. Full disclosure, there was a stretch during Nick’s young adulthood where I was ready to throw the book out the window. Khong’s prose is sharp, detailed, and layered, and she ties the narrative threads together in a way that left me satisfied, even if I wished for more.

My critiques: the book gestures toward big ideas but sometimes stops short of fully landing them. The inherent racism within gene editing is explored, but the theme felt somewhat poorly tied into the obviously related narrative arcs. Similarly, a major mystery introduced at the end of Lily’s section is resolved later with very little fanfare, which left the pacing feeling uneven.

And yet, despite these quibbles, I enjoyed this family saga. The characters lingered with me long after finishing, and I think that is the true mark of a story that matters.

While Netgalley provided me with an arc, I purchased the audiobook with my own money so I could get through it. The audiobook was narrated beautifully by Louisa Zhu, Eric Yang, and Eunice Wong.

August 2024:
Reviewed by @literary.listener

Thanks @netgalley for the ARC.

This wasn't my cup of tea. The content was good and I enjoyed the prompts. But it took me a long time to get through it. I felt like I struggled with it. But my struggle had a lot to do with the content. Some of the things in the book I haven't thought to stress about. 🤣 Then as I was reading it I just sat there going..."oh no...". So it triggered a response in me, much like how I could not get through The Body Keeps the Score. I would rather just not think about things that I didn't have on my mind to be stressed about.

So while it was in some ways enjoyable to read the prompts and the relaxing sections.l, it just was too heavy for me. But if you are more of the medical mindset and ok with the state of the world I think this would be spot on!

Sometimes you really need to pause and think about the world our kids are currently growing up in… going through a pandemic, and constant fears of something like that happening again. World constantly being on the brink of world war three… On top of other natural disasters. 

When I was younger, I remember sitting in a rocking chair… during the 89 San Francisco earthquake. And I spent years holding on to that fear, that it was going to happen again… and I did not speak to anyone about those fears. And I worry my kids are doing the same thing, cramming all those fears deep down. 



This book is like talking to a friend. Someone who understands you. I love all the parent activities, crafts and pauses. It seems trivial, but it is so important to take a minute. There are so many amazing suggestions in this book for parenting, but also self care for yourself. Because you have to take care of yourself too. There’s also guides for family bonding, which is so important in this day and age!

It truly is a great book full of excellent ideas and resources. Highly recommend.