I loved Goodbye Vitamin from this author and knew I had to read this one. I loved the entire thing, and the way we could follow this family through all three generations. I felt like my heart was being squeezed in every page. 

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a literary exploration of what it means to be American and how that intersects with the Asian diaspora. Lily's parents wanted to be American and raised her to be very American, even having milk and cookies on Christmas for Santa, and Lily feels very aware that no matter how American she was raised, she still sticks out as a woman of Chinese descent. When she meets Matthew, a white man from a rich family, she falls for him while trying to navigate her monetary concerns. In the second third, we get Nick, Lily and Matthew’s son, a young man in high school who greatly resembles his father but has no memories of Matthew or even knows who his father is. 

There was a lot in here that really resonated with me as the child of an immigrant. From that feeling you get when you’re confronted with your parents’ native language but you don’t speak it to the loss of a strong connection to a culture to Nick constantly feeling like half of him is invisible, it’s poignant and heartbreaking and breathtakingly real. Khong draws attention to what we give up when we immigrate but also the reasons that we might have for making that choice and for rejecting parts of ourselves. 

The romance between Lily and Matthew was very sweet but also serves to highlight specific things, such as Asian women x White men pairings. Two of Lily's friends are in similar relationships to her, even further drawing attention to it. Khong doesn’t condemn these relationships, but rather makes the reader start to ask questions about why it is so common. 

The three generational POVs are very much centered around characters trying to find themselves within a much grander context of important historical moments. Their Chinese identity is tested in different ways and they are constantly running towards or from something. 

Trigger warning for mentions of COVID and 9/11 and a brief depiction of sexual assault

I would recommend this to readers looking for stories about the Chinese diaspora in America, fans of literary fiction with multiple POVs, and immigrants and children of immigrants.

Thank you to the The Knopf Team for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Quote: “And yet, with the hubris of youth, I thought to myself: Everything. Given time, we not only could, we would know everything.”

“Real Americans” is a generational tale that resonated with me in ways that I didn’t expect. A story told in three parts, each highlighting a different generation, had moments that I would have to sit there and simply process what I read. I was in awe at how someone was able to write about experiences that I always struggled to put words to.

What I truly loved about this book was Khong’s ability to carry the central themes through each of the character’s perspectives, making it all feel truly connected. Even as we moved through the lives of three very different individuals, there were constant discussions of how one’s circumstances dictate the trajectory of their life, how time is ever fleeting, and how wealth does not always make one fortunate.

While carrying through these themes as a contemporary fiction, Khong was also managed to weave in some mystery and science fiction elements that had me glued to the pages, eager to learn the truth. However, I did find that the middle part of the story dragged for me a bit and I found it odd that the final portion of the story seemed to jump perspectives when the first two parts did not.

Despite those issues, I found that all of this came together to tell a beautiful story of how the gaps between people can grow quite large. As individuals the characters in this book all tried to do the best with what they had, taking what they’ve learned to try and do better. Their actions were mirrored in such fascinating ways by highlighting how hard it was for the younger generations to truly understand their intentions. As I was going back through the quotes I had highlighted, it made the story feel more rich realizing how much the final part of the book had me looking at the beginning differently.

Real Americans is not the type of book I typically read, but I am so glad the cover caught my attention. It was beautifully written and caught my mind going back over the story anytime I wasn't reading it. I didn't expect the path the book wandered, but the whole story was as lovely as it was heartbreaking.