Saturday, January 14, 2023

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

First read of 2023. I loved his debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy does not disappoint. 

For me, it is the kind of book where I can not be reading anything else at the same time; a lot going on in this one. I love the premise for this; genetic memory. Ancestral memories. Undoubtedly something I will ponder from time to time going forward.

Wiki: 'A theorized phenomenon in which certain kinds of memories could be inherited, being present at birth in the absence of any associated sensory experience, and that such memories could be incorporated into the genome over long spans of time.'

Epigenetics; Some people receive family heirlooms from their ancestors: historic jewelry, trinkets, vintage clothes, sentimental photographs, and other mementos which are passed down from generation to generation. But scientists are beginning to discover that we may be inheriting much more from our grandparents than the contents of their attic. New studies suggest that some of our memories, fears, and behaviors are passed down genetically through generations from our ancestors.

Recent studies done by scientists and researchers even suggest that we receive loads of genetic memories from our parents, grandparents, and further ancestors, in an instinctive effort by their DNA to better prepare ours for difficult experiences that they have faced, such as fear, disease, or trauma.' 

-Buzzworthy, Memories Are Passed Through DNA From Your Grandparents, Say Scientists.

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