The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

Dorothy Moy, Washington's former poet laureate, channels her dissociative episodes and mental health struggles into her art. When her five-year-old daughter starts exhibiting similar behaviors and remembering their ancestors' lives, Dorothy fears her child will inherit her debilitating depression. Seeking radical help, Dorothy undergoes an experimental treatment to mitigate inherited trauma, connecting with past generations of Moy women: a nurse in China, a student in England, a girl quarantined during a plague, a tech executive, and the first Chinese woman in America. Through these painful recollections, Dorothy discovers inherited love and aims to break the cycle of trauma for her daughter's sake, even if it comes at a great personal cost.