The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick

The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet returns with a powerful exploration of the love that binds a family across the generations in "one of the most beautiful books of motherhood and what we pass on to those that come after us" (Jenna Bush Hager, Today).

Dorothy Moy breaks her own heart for a living.

As Washington's former poet laureate, that's how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art. But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors, Dorothy believes the past has come to haunt her. Fearing that her child is predestined to endure the same debilitating depression that has marked her own life, Dorothy seeks radical help.

Through an experimental treatment designed to mitigate inherited trauma, Dorothy intimately connects with past generations of women in her family: Faye Moy, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers; Zoe Moy, a student in England at a famous school with no rules; Lai King Moy, a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic; Greta Moy, a tech executive with a unique dating app; and Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America.

As the painful recollections affect her present life, Dorothy discovers that trauma isn't the only thing she's inherited. A stranger is searching for her in each time period-a stranger who's loved her through all of her genetic memories. Can Dorothy break the cycle of pain and abandonment to finally find peace for her daughter and love for herself? Or will she end up paying the ultimate price?

"For Jamie Ford fans both old and new, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is an unmitigated pleasure" (Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author) and a lyrical love story unlike any other.

From the publisher Simon & Schuster/Atria Books | Aug 2, 2022 | 384 pages | ISBN:1982158212 | Historical Fiction

1. This story is told in alternating timelines across many characters. Who did you relate to the most? Was there one story you wished there was more of?

2. In the opening chapter, Faye Moy reads from an Edgar Allan Poe poem, "But we loved with a love that was more than love ..." How do you think the characters show their capacity for love? Most of the characters seem to be driven by love. How do you think that affects their decisions? How does it affect the final outcome of the book?

3. Dorothy Moy recognizes some characteristics that she shares with her young daughter. How do you think that realization makes her feel? This book is all about how we can share trauma through a family line. What are some shared traits, positive and negative, that connect you to your family?

4. The relationship between Louis and Dorothy is very volatile. Why do you think that she stays with him?

5. The theme of fate versus choice runs throughout this novel. Pick out some of the moments where a different choice made by a character might have led to a different outcome. What stopped the character from making a better choice? Do you think it was external or internal forces that informed the decision?

6. At one point, Dorothy wonders if art can only be created through pain and trauma. What do you think? Can there be great art created from joy?

7. What was your reaction to Summerhill? Did it seem like it was an ideal school? Were all the normal hierarchies of school still present? What was your expectation for how their political experiment in fascism would play out?

8. A lot of the women in this book have very little agency over their lives and bodies. Discuss how that changed for each generation in the story. How would you say that women are treated today in the real world? What has changed since the time of Afong Moy in the 1800s? What changes do you see in the future?

9. Greta Moy designs a dating app called Syren that is female-led and meant to be empowering to women. Unfortunately, it is ultimately taken down by the actions of a man. What did you think about the decisions made by Greta in meeting with Carter? How did he manipulate the situation?

10. This book takes a peek at the year 2086 with high-speed trains and driverless cars. What are some advancements you hope to see in the next twenty years? What do you hope future generations might get to see?

11. Dorothy is able to drastically change the lives of her family members and herself through an experimental treatment. Would you take part in an experiment? What might deter you? What would make it enticing? What, if anything, would you change in the lives of your ancestors?

12. Discuss your reaction to the ending. Was it a satisfying ending?

Book Club Talking Points:
This book is great for a book club because it's a fascinating read. It tells the story of a woman who can see and feel the memories of her female ancestors, raising thought-provoking questions about family legacy and how our past influences who we are today. Based on a real person, Afong Moy, it opens up plenty of discussion opportunities. You'll enjoy exploring how your own family history has shaped you.

"The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is simply transcendent. The first Chinese woman to set her lotus-bound feet in America is destined to set off a ripple through time and space, as her descendants struggle with her legacy of loss and loneliness. Themes of karma, courage, love, and motherhood weave timelessly through eight generations of women seeking to find balance in an increasingly tempest-racked world. Jamie Ford has outdone himself!" -KATE QUINN, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

"Jamie Ford's army of readers will be thrilled by this amazing new novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, which promises to take them to places they have not been to before. At our house, we enjoyed many nights reading later and later into the evening, and discussing its wonders and surprises." -LUIS ALBERTO URREA, bestselling author of The House of Broken Angels

"Fans of The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweetrejoice: Jamie Ford has done it again. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is a searing and vibrant epic of generational love, trauma, and healing. In his trademark poignant prose, Ford breathes Afong Moy and her descendants to life with dimension and power. This is a book that will stay with readers and reshape how they engage with their own lives and legacies. To read it is to be transformed--and to transcend." -QIAN JULIE WANG, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Country

"[A] poignant meditation on how we are shaped by those who come before us, as well as an emotional journey through the past and future. Jamie Ford's lyrical writing fills the reader with wonder, possibility, and most of all hope. This story will live inside me forever." -JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library

"A haunting love story not just for our time but all times, Jamie Ford's The Many Daughters of Afong Moy explores the challenges of the Asian experience across eras, and into our own, and reminds us that no human suffers alone. Impossible to put down once I picked it up, its characters will live with me for a very long time." -HUGH HOWEY, New York Times bestselling author of Wool

"Lyrical and profound, poignant and original, this sweeping saga explores the love that binds one family across generations. For Jamie Ford fans both old and new, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is an unmitigated pleasure."-CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and The Exiles

"[T]he Moy women will leave readers wanting to know more...Ford's tragically beautiful book will make readers cry and smile." -Library Journal (starred review)

"Exploring the bonds that transcend physical space, The Many Daughters of Afong Moyis an enthralling, centuries-spanning tale, a masterful saga that's perfect for fans of The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain." -Bookpage (starred review)