The Many Daughters Of Afong Moy By Jaime Ford
 | Author:
Rachael Elliott-Brug, Reading Leaves
Rachael Brug: MT43 News Vice President and Copy Editor |
The Many Daughters Of Afong Moy By Jaime Ford
Even before this book was published I was hearing hype
about it. I truly enjoyed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and
Sweet so I knew Montana author Jamie Ford's newest
release, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, would be a
good read. I was NOT expecting how absolutely wonderful
and transporting this novel would be!
Dorothy Moy, a poet, has led a life fraught with mental
health issues and dissociative episodes. Her overbearing
mother-in-law pushes and strains Dorothy's already
struggling marriage, causing tension and distress, while her
husband's egocentric attitude gives her little hope of any
kind of resolution. When Dorothy's five-year-old daughter
begins displaying signs of similar mental health issues, she
decides to seek experimental treatment designed to ease
inherited trauma and potentially give her answers about
her condition. Treatment connects Dorothy to past
generations of women in her maternal lineage who
experience pain, love, and loss over and over again. More
than that, she finds there is someone in each life, each
timeline, who is searching for her. A stranger who has loved
her through all of her genetic memories.
This story explores themes of epigenetics and inherited
trauma, as well as those of motherhood, love, and karma.
Each character is well thought out and beautifully written,
and the different time periods add value to the story
without being distracting. The Many Daughters of Afong
Moy is easily one of the best books I've read in a while.
