The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

 Afong Moy was a real woman. Her daughters are fictional possibilities used to explore the idea of epigenesis.  In 1826 Afong Moy was illegally brought to the United States from China and exploited as an oddity on stage to the benefit of her "handlers".  In 2045 Dorothy Moy struggles in her life in Seattle. She was once the Washington poet laureate but dreams and feelings of trauma have affected her ability to function. When her young daughter begins to "remember" things she could not possibly have seen, Dorothy decides to contact a councilor who is exploring the idea of epigenesis.  Through her story we meet 5 other generations of women all who carry trauma historical and new. One of the best parts was the climate change affected weather in Seattle - trauma enough itself!
Depending on whether or not you buy into the idea of epigenesis, the book is either interesting fiction or magical realism. You choose.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wecker

 Historical fiction? Magical Realism? I admit I read "genie" the whole time. Ahmad was "born" in the Syrian desert hundreds of years ago, is locked in a copper flask and turns up in NYC in the 1890's. Chava was created in Poland by a man who possesses the powers to create a Golem from mud. She was intended to be the wife of a man who dies at sea on the way to NYC. Two powerful magical creatures designed to follow their masters but no masters are present. Enter a cast of humans, some equally mystical, some willing to accept the truth of Ahmad and Chava and others set on evil. Naturally they meet - and connect in the tenements and parks of the city. Can they overcome their powerful natures? Is it possible to learn to be human? Is it possible to keep their names straight when they seem to change with the centuries. The ending is a surprise but then I already knew there was a sequel so not totally unsuspected.