August 2, 2022
NetGalley, Edelweiss
Simon & Schuster/Atria
Historical fiction, arc, publisher widget,digital, audio
katelyn.phillips@simonandschuster.com
4/5
2/3/23-2/5/23
The author’s introduction is extremely helpful for understanding the manner in which the stories unfold. It can become confusing as there are “many daughters of Afong” as the title states. The theme of the story is the concept of epigenetic trauma. The idea that certain experiences and memories can be “inherited” in some way. The author focuses on the life of a real person, Afong Moy, who was the first Chinese woman to land in America in 1836.
The story is told primarily through the experiences of Dorothy Moy who despite her fame as a Washington poet laureate, struggled with continual episodic mental health issues. Her depression and dissociative state created much discord in her life so she agreed to and experiment in 2045 to mitigate “inherited trauma”. Only time will tell if such intervention is possible to alleviate the suppression and violent treatment that can occur due to ignorance.
The “daughters” are introduced in different time periods experiencing their own version of emotional difficulties relative the era in which they live. Ethnicity plays a role in the cultural traditions which are passed on and the perceived expectations that they bring to each new generation.
Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Simon&Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC. My review contains my honest and unbiased opinion.
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