The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

library binding

Published July 27, 2022 by Thorndike Press Large Print.

ISBN:
978-1-4328-9760-4
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4 stars (4 reviews)

4 editions

Absolute Gem

5 stars

The theme of this wonderful story was epigenetics - how trauma responses are passed from generation to generation (imagine how a grandparent bit by a snake could lead to a fear of snakes in their children and grandchildren). By necessity then the story involves multiple generations, in this case all descended from a woman named Afong Moy. Each generation faces different struggles in different times and places, and all are so well described that each could be expanded into their own book. I've recommended this book to many and bought copies for others. Once you pick it up you'll find it difficult to put down.

Review of 'Many Daughters of Afong Moy' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Thanks to Atria Publishing & Netgalley for the ARC!

The premise of this book really intrigued me as I haven't seen a whole lot of fiction novels that delve into the topic of epigenetics. However, this novel fell short for me. For a book that was supposed to be about how trauma connects generations of family members, they all felt very disconnected and their stories, disjointed. I would have liked to know more about how the treatment worked from Dorothy's POV. We got each woman's story in chapter form, sure, but how did that work for Dorothy? When she did her treatment, did she live the lives of these women or view it on the outskirts? Did she just enter a deep sleep and wake up, seeing the hallucinations of the characters in her ancestors' lives and ~feeling~ their feelings? It was just not developed enough for me to enjoy …