Jamie Ford is one of my favorite authors, so it shouldn't come as a surprise how delighted I was to get my hands on an advance reader's copy of his newest novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy. In his newest work, just as he has done with his previous novels, Ford takes an event or a person in history and builds a compelling story around it, all while paying homage to his Chinese ancestry and heritage. I love this aspect of his works. With that said though, this book is actually a bit of a departure from Ford's prior historical fiction works in that it leans more heavily into areas of science and technology as well as spirituality and philosophy. This book is quite a bit more complex than his other novels, which is fine, but I think it's beneficial to know that going into this one, especially since it has the potential to affect the reading experience.
For me, I had never actually heard of epigenetics prior to reading this book and even now, after reading up on the subject after finishing the book, I still don't really understand what it is, to be very honest. While the mechanics of this science and all the terminology went completely over my head, I did catch onto the overarching concept of inherited generational trauma, which played a huge role throughout the entire story.
The science part aside, there were plenty other aspects to the story that I loved: the historical and cultural elements, the beautiful writing, the meticulous storytelling, and of course, the wonderfully rendered characters. I was fascinated by the interwoven stories of the seven generations of Moy women (Afong, Lai King, Faye, Zoe, Greta, Dorothy, Annabel) in a narrative that spanned several time lines and settings — from Baltimore in 1836, to San Francisco in 1892, to England in 1927, to China in 1942, to Seattle in 2014, 2045, and 2086. Truly this is a narrative that covers past, present, and future, with strong female protagonists at its core, each with moving, poignant backstories where they endure a defining, traumatic event— these are characters I couldn't help rooting for, even when their actions and some of the decisions they made gave me pause.
Overall, I appreciated how ambitious this book was and while I didn't always understand exactly what I was reading, it was hard not to be drawn in by Ford's masterful storytelling. Though this wasn't my favorite of his novels (my favorite remains Love and Other Consolation Prizes), it was still a fantastic read that I wholeheartedly recommend. Not sure how long we'll need to wait for Ford's next book, but I absolutely look forward to what he may have for us next!
Received ARC from Atria Books via NetGalley.
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