“That’s when I decided to write an epigenetic love story.” So says author Jamie Ford in a recent write-up on his forthcoming novel The Many Daughters of Afong May. Ford references a 2013 study at Emory University as the spark that ignited this novel of six interwoven narratives set in different time periods throughout history. The field of epigenetics studies how behavior and environment can causes changes in how genes work. “…The more I read about epigenetics, the more I wondered if it’s possible to pass down more than trauma, pain, and negative experiences? Is it possible to pass down positive things as well? What about love?”

When asked what he hopes readers will take away from the novel:

I think all of us have some sort of underlying trauma, either first-hand, or we grew up in a household where we were a witness to it. Very few of us have perfect, pristine lives, devoid of scars and heartache. I hope readers will be comforted knowing that we’re part of a continuum, and good or bad, we are the recipients (and caretakers) of a lot of familial baggage.

I hope readers will be encouraged to live generously, with patience and compassion, passing those things down instead of suffering.

Read the full write-up at Library Journal: Author Jamie Ford discusses his newest novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy.