Sunday, April 07, 2024

Ten top novels with rotating perspectives

Shilpi Somaya Gowda is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of four novels: Secret Daughter (2010), The Golden Son (2015), The Shape of Family (2020), and A Great Country (2024).

Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages, been #1 international bestsellers in several countries and sold more than two million copies worldwide.

At Lit Hub Gowda tagged ten "favorite novels, where the varied voices of family members together create richly layered stories." One title on the list:
Jamie Ford, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

Jamie Ford stretches this genre into the deep past and the unforeseen future with a tale of the descendants of the Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America. Here, the story is told by her daughters through multiple generations, and delves into the concept of inherited trauma.

The novel is a bit mind-bending with its futuristic elements, but Ford manages to weave this quite well into the historical origin story. A bold storytelling approach, and one that thoughtfully explores the ideas of what we pass down and what we inherit.
Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue