Across three parts, Rachel Khong tells the story of the Chen family and each generation’s need to exercise choice in matters that seem out of their control. We begin with Lily, who is swept up in a romance with a wealthy WASP that seems, against all odds and class distinctions, to be the real deal. She sits between her mother (part 3) and son, Nick, (part 2) who all become increasingly more American and still strive to truly be seen.
How much can we mold future generations before they’re even here? Are we actually doing a disservice to those we’re trying to help by making choices just to prove we have some element of free will? There’s just the slightest tinge of fantasy (the ability of the Chen family members to slow time), layered on so delicately (“is that even what that passage meant?” you ask yourself) that it only emphasizes just how close scientific “magic” is to our grasp. I struggled with the characters’ lack of communication and how the result of not speaking about important things made nature (over nurture) seem to be the foregone conclusion. Perhaps if Lily had simply discussed with Matthew the buried shared family history she uncovered, they could have worked through things and his destiny of becoming his father would not have been so inevitable. Also to consider…if nature is manipulated (as they attempt to do at a genetic level), does it then become nurture?
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: Vesper
Peaches to Apples 