Patricia Sullivan Common Reading Program
Patricia Sullivan Common Reading Program
The Patricia Sullivan Common Reading Program at Molloy University:
- Involves students, faculty, administrators, and staff, reading and discussing a book chosen by a college committee because of its important theme and its relevance to contemporary life.
- Revolves around a book that is required reading for FST 1000, The College Experience, a course all First-Year students take during their first semester.
- Serves as the subject of the University’s Opening Convocation each fall. The book’s author comes to campus to talk about the book.
- Is the catalyst for Inspired Works, a contest sponsored by the Patricia Sullivan Common Reading Program Committee to reward creativity in student writers, artists, or musicians.
Current Book and Author
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
About the Author
Jamie Ford is the great-grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who emigrated from Hoiping, China, to San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western name Ford, thus confusing countless generations. His debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and went on to win the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Jamie’s latest novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, was published August 2022 by Atria. Jamie Ford keeps an active blog where he writes about books and some of his personal adventures such as a family mission trip to Africa, mountain climbing, and his library adventures. He is also active on Facebook. His work has been translated into thirty-five languages. Having grown up in Seattle, he now lives in Montana with his wife and a one-eyed pug.
About the Book’
From Simon & Schuster website:
Dorothy Moy breaks her own heart for a living. As Washington’s former poet laureate, that’s how she describes channeling her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art. But when her five-year-old daughter exhibits similar behavior and begins remembering things from the lives of their ancestors, Dorothy believes the past has come to haunt her. Fearing that her child is predestined to endure the same debilitating depression that has marked her own life, Dorothy seeks radical help.
Through an experimental treatment designed to mitigate inherited trauma, Dorothy intimately connects with past generations of women in her family: Faye Moy, a nurse in China serving with the Flying Tigers; Zoe Moy, a student in England at a famous school with no rules; Lai King Moy, a girl quarantined in San Francisco during a plague epidemic; Greta Moy, a tech executive with a unique dating app; and Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America.
As the painful recollections affect her present life, Dorothy discovers that trauma isn’t the only thing she’s inherited. A stranger is searching for her in each time period—a stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories. Can Dorothy break the cycle of pain and abandonment to finally find peace for her daughter and love for herself? Or will she end up paying the ultimate price?
“For Jamie Ford fans both old and new, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy is an unmitigated pleasure” (Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author) and a lyrical love story unlike any other.
Faculty Resources
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Guided Reading Questions- Mental Health Questions
- What is generational trauma and how does it differ from other types of trauma?
- How does generational trauma affect individuals and communities across different generations?
- What are some examples of generational trauma in history and how have they impacted society?
- Can generational trauma be healed or overcome? If so, what steps can be taken to address it?
- What are some common symptoms or effects of generational trauma, both on an individual and societal level?
- How can awareness and understanding of generational trauma lead to better mental health outcomes and community healing?
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Guided Reading Questions- Story Related Questions
- In what ways does The Many Daughters of Afong Moyshed light on the experiences of Chinese immigrants in the United States in the late 19th century?
- How does Afong Moy's story illustrate the complexities of identity and cultural assimilation for Chinese immigrants in America during that time?
- What role does patriarchy play in the lives of the women in the book, both in China and the United States?
- What do you think the author's intentions were in highlighting the story of Afong Moy and her daughters? How does the book add to our understanding of Chinese American history and culture?
- The book explores themes of resilience, family, and tradition. How do these themes relate to the experiences of other immigrant communities in the United States?
- How does the book address the idea of agency and power for women in patriarchal societies, both in China and the United States?
- In what ways does the book challenge or reinforce stereotypes of Chinese culture and Chinese Americans? How does this relate to broader discussions around representation in literature and media?
- How does the book illustrate the impact of historical events, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, on the lives of Chinese immigrants and their descendants in the United States?
- How do the various characters in the book navigate the tensions between honoring their cultural heritage and assimilating to American society?
- What are some of the contemporary issues faced by Chinese Americans today and how might the experiences of Afong Moy and her family help us understand these issues better?
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Additional Readings and Video Resources
Resources Related to the Historical Afong Moy
The Chinese Lady: Afong Moy in Early America by Nancy E. Davis (book, Oxford University Press, 2019)
- The Life of Afong Moy, the First Chinese Woman in America. Links to an external site.(excerpt, Literary Hub, 2019)
- The Chinese Lady: Afong Moy in Early America. Links to an external site.(conversation w/Nancy E. Davis, The Center for Women’s History/New-York Historical Society)
The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh (play, 2018)
- What ‘The Chinese Lady’ Can Teach Us About Asian America, Then And Now. Links to an external site.(article, American Theatre, 2021)
- The Chinese Lady, Excerpt #1. Links to an external site.and Excerpt #2. Links to an external site. (videos, TimeLine Theatre Company, 2022)
Resources Related to Intergenerational Trauma
- What Is Intergenerational Trauma? Links to an external site.(reference article, Very Well Mind, 2022)
- Intergenerational Communication about Historical Trauma in Asian American Families. Links to an external site.(research article, Adversity & Resilience Science, 2022)
- Your Fantastic Mind, Season 2 Ep 3: Intergenerational Trauma. Links to an external site.(video, Emory Healthcare, 2020)
Promotional Videos for the Book
- Engaging announcement of the book Links to an external site.(Today Show, NBC)
- Book Club introduction to the book and themes Links to an external site.(Amerie's Book Club)
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Images and Infographics
Images for Discussing the Book
Jamie Ford book cover image:
Book cover for text related to trauma:
Quote about trauma:
Past Guest Authors and Common Read Books
Since 2009, The Patricia Sullivan Common Reading Program has brought the works of today's contemporary authors to our Molloy Community.
Molloy’s Common Reading Program 2009- 2022
2009 Hurry Down Sunshine: A Father’s Story of Love and Madness by Michael Greenberg
2010 Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Relin
2011 Outcasts United by Warren St.John
2012 Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
2013 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
2014 One Amazing Thing by Chitra Divakaruni
2015 March Book One, March Book Two by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin,
and Nate Powell
2016 Post Mortal by Drew Magary
2017 The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
2018 Tough as They Come by Travis Mills
2019 We Are All Called to Rise by Laura McBride
2020 What the Eyes Don’t See by Mona Hanna-Attisha
2021 Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
2022 One Two Three by Laurie Frankel
2023 The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
Inspired Works 2023-24 Contest Winners
Zoie Napolitano, First Place Winner for poem titled “The Mirror”
Ezekiel Babarinde, Second Place Winner for musical score and recording titled Lost Love
Alisa Biju, Third Place Winner for short story titled “If Only I Had Known”
Award Ceremony April 9, 2024
Patricia Sullivan Common Reading Program Committee
Alice Byrnes, O.P., D.A., Chairperson of the Common Reading Committee, Professor of English
Linda Albanese, M.A., Vice President of Enrollment Management
Madeline Craig, Ed.D, Associate Professor, School of Education and Human Services
Sarah Evans, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Program Director of New Media
Mary Gallagher, B.A., Administrative Assistant, Psychology and Interdisciplinary Departments
Donna Iucolano, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Business
Janice Kelly, Ed.D., Professor, Program Director of Professional Communications, Chairperson of Interdisciplinary Studies
Laurie Hallick, M.S.Ed., Instructional Designer, Blended & Online Learning
Rebecca Martinez, B.S., M.B.A, Assistant Director, Career Center
David Nochimson, M.L.S. Access Service Librarian, James E. Tobin Library
Trisha O’Neill, B.F.A., Administrative Assistant, English, Communications, and Art
Cate Donato, Student Member
Emily McKenna, Student Member
Book Selected for 2024-25
The Plant Hunter by Cassandra Leah Quave
Cassandra Leah Quave will speak at Opening Convocation on October 9, 2024.
About the Author:
Cassandra Quave, Ph.D., is author of a science memoir The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines. Dr. Quave is Curator of the Herbarium and Associate Professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University, where she leads anti-infective drug discovery research initiatives and teaches courses on medicinal plants, microbiology, and pharmacology. As a medical ethnobotanist, her work focuses on the documentation and pharmacological evaluation of plants used in traditional medicine. Dr. Quave’s research is supported by the NIH, industry contracts, and philanthropy. She is a Fellow of the Explorers Club, a past President of the Society for Economic Botany, a recipient of the Emory Williams Teaching Award, and Charles Heiser, Jr. Mentor Award. She is the host of Foodie Pharmacology, a podcast dedicated to exploring the links between food and medicine. Dr. Quave has authored more than 100 scientific publications, two edited books, twenty book chapters, and seven patents. Her research has been the subject of feature profiles in the New York Times Magazine, BBC Science Focus, National Geographic Magazine, Brigitte Magazin, NPR, PBS, and the National Geographic Channel.