The Many Daughters of Afong Moy: A Novel by Jamie Ford. Atria Books, 2022. Adult fiction. Historic fiction.Ford used the real story of Afong Moy or "The Chinese Lady" who arrived in the United States from China in 1834 and became quite the featured "performer" at what seems like circus sideshows for his impetus in this novel. From that kernel of truth, Ford's imagination leads to Lai King in 1892, Zoe in 1927, Faye in 1942, Greta in 2014, Dorothy in 2045 and ultimately to Dorothy's daughter, Annabel. The timelines and chapters are fluid and tie together the stories of the women. They are not in chronological order. The character of Dorothy has a difficult marriage (AND mother-in-law) and tries an experimental treatment for epigenetic inheritances. Memories that she has are not her own. Can trauma and pain be passed along through generations? If so, can the patterns be changed? Fascinating are the author's notes and research recommendations at the end of the book.
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