Real Americans

Khong’s intimate second novel is a profound meditation on race, class, identity, and the complexity of family. The multigenerational epic almost reads like three connected novellas, as we meet three different generations of the Chen family in 1999 NYC, 2021 PNW and New England, and 2030 San Francisco (with many memories of 1960s China). This novel poses big questions, while satisfyingly withholding pat answers: what makes us who we are? What is family? How can we justify keeping secrets from those we love? And what does it mean to be a “real” American?