Real Americans

A Novel

De: Rachel Khong

Narrado por: Louisa Zhu, Eric Yang, Eunice Wong

Duración: 14 h y 40 m

Resumen del Editor

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA’S MAY BOOK CLUB PICK • From the award-winning author of Goodbye, Vitamin: How far would you go to shape your own destiny? An exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family and asks: What makes us who we are? And how inevitable are our futures?

"Mesmerizing"—Brit Bennett • "A page turner.”—Ha Jin • “Gorgeous, heartfelt, soaring, philosophical and deft"—Andrew Sean Greer • "Traverses time with verve and feeling."—Raven Leilani

Real Americans begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City, when twenty-two-year-old Lily Chen, an unpaid intern at a slick media company, meets Matthew. Matthew is everything Lily is not: easygoing and effortlessly attractive, a native East Coaster, and, most notably, heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. Lily couldn't be more different: flat-broke, raised in Tampa, the only child of scientists who fled Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Despite all this, Lily and Matthew fall in love.

In 2021, fifteen-year-old Nick Chen has never felt like he belonged on the isolated Washington island where he lives with his single mother, Lily. He can't shake the sense she's hiding something. When Nick sets out to find his biological father, the journey threatens to raise more questions than it provides answers.

In immersive, moving prose, Rachel Khong weaves a profound tale of class and striving, race and visibility, and family and inheritance—a story of trust, forgiveness, and finally coming home.

Exuberant and explosive, Real Americans is a social novel par excellence that asks: Are we destined, or made? And if we are made, who gets to do the making? Can our genetic past be overcome?

©2024 Rachel Khong (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2024, at publications including: The New York Times, Oprah Daily, Today, TIME, and more!

"If you liked Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, read Real Americans by Rachel Khong."—The Washington Post

"It's a tale as old as time: Poor girl meets rich boy, they fall in love, and they live happily ever after. Well, not quite... A profound read."—People

"Remarkable... Folded into [Real Americans] are doomed love stories, fancy parties, a subplot about epigenetics, Chinese people who look white and yummy treats... The book also poses a dizzying array of questions: What does it mean to be American, and who gets to say who is one?”—Robert Ito, The New York Times

Best wedgie ever?

What I look for in a book, regardless of genre, is a good story about people. Real Americans is exactly that. Rachel Khong deserves all the praise in the world. I’d love to throw her a lemon darty ice cream party.

Unlikely decisions

Good writing. Story line seemed very unlikely and relied on chance.
Good for discussion or book club

Engrossing, symbolic, really well written

I devoured this. The story is rich and moving, with memorable and relatable characters. I recognized a lot of myself and my immigrant family, in this story. I’ll be thinking about this story for a while.

Kept me interested

I felt invested in this story. The narration was top notch and the story was captivating. But it never really went anywhere. I like stories to be tied up good/bad and it didn’t have much resolve.

A clever read

This book is different from books I choose to read. I was captivated by the uniqueness of this author's writing. The narrators were outstanding. The author's writing flowed with such ease. The only drawback in listening and reading this book was the quantity of so much inappropriate language. It took away from the beauty of this author's gorgeous giftedness with words.

2.5 stars

2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book (and I did for the first half) but it fell flat for me. It had some good elements, but it was all over the place. The story hinged on two characters meeting in such an unlikely coincidence that I found it unbelievable. Overall I found the characters terrible communication frustrating and I didn’t feel like the author wrapped the story up well.

An enjoyable book spanning three generations.

I was a little confused which way things were going to go. It all worked out. Really liked it .

STELLAR STORYTELLING

This is superb writing that details three generations that crosses the globe. The characters are deeply developed and the theme is equally compelling. The realness and challenges faced will intrigue the reader. I wish that I could rate this novel higher than 5 stars.

More Time

This was a good listen. I got lost in the story once or twice and had to go back and re-listen. Outside of that it has a good storyline. In a nutshell, they needed more time to make decisions for themselves and for others. Time we do not have. It’s a good read/listen. I do recommend it.

Compelling Story

I loved this book and left me wanting more! Narrated from the point of view of three generations I found the story compelling and relevant to today’s issues. The journey of an immigrant is told plainly and brutally honest along with the generations that followed and the impact of it had on them.
The story brilliantly states how each generation wants better for the next, but the road is filled with potholes that need to be maneuvered with care.
I highly recommend Rachel Kong’s writings and this book is amazing!