The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

Dorothy Moy is the novel’s protagonist and one of Afong Moy’s descendants. Though she has bouts of mental illness, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions, The Power of Epigenetics also helps her find her strength and take action to change her and her daughter’s lives.

Dorothy’s vulnerability prevents her from advocating for herself in the early chapters. After a family trip to the grocery store in preparation for a storm, Dorothy goes to the parking lot expecting Louis to be waiting for her. Instead, she observes, “He just left me. Something must have happened. He had to get Annabel home” (18). The danger of the impending storm has been well established: In the store, shelves were bare and old women battled over supplies. No one should be out alone in such weather, yet Dorothy accepts that Louis abandoned her and believes that there must be a reason for it.

However, as Dorothy experiences more epigenetic treatments, she finds new strength. As she contemplates taking her daughter and leaving Louis, Dorothy takes in the quiet apartment:

[H]er abandonment issues had always prevented her from appreciating [being alone].

Is this what peace feels like? She wondered.