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.

The Prospectors by Ariel Djanikian

Based on real family history, the real Lowell family of California  become enormously wealthy at the Klondike gold rush in Alaska.  Generations later two young members of the family are asked to return to Alaska and make right an injustice that occurred back then. I wasn't really into this story until the native people involved reject their offer which raises the question of what might be real retribution to any people who suffered at the hands of privilege.  Unlikeable characters, unexceptional writing, thought provoking history - a 6 out of 10.

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict

 Post WWII, Rosalind Franklin found herself in an ideal working situation as a chemist in a French lab. Highly educated, she had already established herself as an expert in X-ray crystallography in London but was excited to explore using that technology outside of her speciality in coal analysis.  When her personal life in France became complicated she took advantage of an opportunity to return to London and direct her attention to figuring out the structure of human DNA. The glory went to Watson and Crick but the research belonged to Franklin.  Her dedication often caused her to ignore the readings on her radiation dosometer and led to her early death from ovarian cancer.  Finally a story told about a true genius.

Somewhere Sisters by Erika Hayasaki

Subtitle: "A story of Adoption, Identity, and the Meaning of Family".   In 1998, twin girls were born in Vietnam. Their mother knew she could not raise them herself. One, named Ha, was sent to live with an aunt in a village with little electricity but a close family. The other, Isabella, was adopted by a familly and very comfortably raised in the Chicago area. Years later, the adoptive mother learns that Isabella has a twin sister and goes to great lengths to reunite these two. She even offers Ha a chance at the same comfortable life her sister has always known. Is that a good offer? What makes a good life? How much of our identity is tied up in where we were born and how much in how we were raised? Who is family? All questions explored in this true story.

 

The Splendid and the Vile by Eric Larson

 Winston Churchill as you may never have seen him before.  In typical Larson fashion, he has managed to unearth details of of the man and how he was able, during the horrendous bombardment of the blitz, say what was needed to keep the faith to stand alone against Hitler.  As often as I read about that one fact, I still struggle to understand the courage of that small island. This story of Churchhill ends when the Americans finally enter the war and we will never know what might have happened had we not finally come to the fight. No matter, Larson has managed to reveal how this funny, pudgy, cigar smoking character was a true hero. Fascinating read.

susan,linda,nina, & cokie by Lisa Napoli

 As an NPR fanatic, I was excited to get a glimpse of these women working together, blazing trails. Unfortunately you had to tease those moments out of a "too much information" text.  The amount of research was impressive but there was no genuine feeling of the importance of their group effort - no story - just a journalistic report.  What was behind their nickname, the "Fallopian Jungle"? Would that have been acceptable now? They certainly supported each other but did they really like what seemed to be an assigned lane? I am sure journalism is a competitive business but I wanted to see that somehow this was different. Lots of interesting NPR history which seemed to interrupt their story. Glad I read it but wanted a different perspective. Wonder what the 3 women who are still alive thought of the book?