Real Americans focuses on three generations of an Asian American family. I enjoyed its structure, which was a little like three stories in one. The first section focuses on Lily, the daughter of two Chinese immigrants who fled Mao's China, and is in the mould of a "messy 20-something" novel with a strong but complicated live story through line. The second section focuses on her son Nick and is more a coming of age novel. The final section is devoted to the story of Mei, Lily's mother, and can be best described as historical fiction. It really brought several earlier storylines together and helped explain Lily's alienation from her mother and from Nick's father. Belonging, identity, fate, and destiny are key themes, but the way this novel explores them in terms of science and epigenetics and the ethics around those gives it a fresh and unique feel. It also explores complicated family dynamics impacted by immigration, racism, class, and wealth. The reasoning behind some of the actions of some of the characters remained a mystery to me though and I wished I had the power to force everyone into family therapy, but overall I'm glad I gave this book a go, particulalry since Khong's debut, Goodbye Vitamin, was not as successful for me as it was for other readers. 

This is a book that could have benefited so much from a disability sensitivity read but gives the vibe that no one involved in it (author, editor, etc) would even know that’s a thing

Thank you to A.A. Knopf for the free copy of this book.

 - I hardly even know how to review REAL AMERICANS. It’s a multigenerational masterpiece that I could not put down.
- Khong guides us through three generations, back and forth in time and place as each POV character tries to sort out their place and purpose in the world.
- There are a few excellent plot twists as well as callbacks, items and motifs repeating through the generations, but never in an over the top way.
- There’s also a slight sprinkle of sci-fi/fantasy in the story, and it’s so satisfying when those threads come together.