Book Reviews: Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Real Americans is in regards to its title, tangentially a book about the American Dream. By that I mean the true American dream- the desperate immigrant story of searching for things that weren't possible in their country of origin always in conflict with privilege, whiteness, and wealth. This novel is about intergenerational relationships- both in positive ways and the ways they fail. It's a book about desires and how they change and stay the same as time passes. It is a book about forgiveness, hope, and longing. While this book has a really lofty concept- its execution is extremely personal and emotional. 

Part 1- Lily
Part one of this novel was my favorite, as Lily's story of belonging and conflict with her parents dreams and ideals was deeply empathetic to me. Lily confronts her own experience and how it differs from that of Matthew's- hoping but not ultimately believing that love is enough to carry you through. In a lot of ways Lily is the most sympathetic character in this novel, and in much of the events of the plot happen to her and not in her orchestration. 

Part 2- Nick
Nick is the lesson that Lily and Mei both need- no matter what choices and desires you have your child will always make their own. You can't will someone into believing the things you do or sympathizing with the same betrayals and so in Nick's chapters you see him learn his own lessons. 

Part 3- Mei
As different as Lily believes them to be- both Lily and Mei choose pragmatism over love and Mei's choices ultimately lead to her separation and alienation from her family. I loved the contrast where Mei talks about how much more important her ambition was to her but by the time she was older the only thing she really wanted was her relationship with her daughter and grandson. 

Eugenics
This novel uses DNA altering and the science of genetics to talk about race, intelligence, and circumstance in how they relate to the American experience. Would a parent give their child privileges they couldn't experience if it meant fundamentally changing who they are? We see the different ways this plays out in this novel and learn the different ways the characters view the world through this lens. 

Time
Time was an interesting component in this novel because we are given an almost supernatural treatment toward the passage of time- and then imply this somehow has genetic origins. This behavior is never really explained to the reader but we know all characters in this family struggle with the ability to process time and we don't know how magical our reading experience really is. It could be as simple as a more floral way of describing the experience of ADHD- we never really get answers to this phenomenon but know firmly by the end that all the characters wish they had more time. 

Politics
This novel takes a sort of liberal/nothing stance on the politics of eugenics and how they relate to Mei's experiences in communist China. The portrayal of China in this novel is a very typical 1st generation immigrant portrayal, and takes some anecdotal liberties. 

I recommend this novel for people who want to read about the American experience, wealth & class issues, and like strong and dramatic character stories.