
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet . . . So begins the story of this exquisite debut novel, about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother’s bright blue eyes and her father’s jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue—in Marilyn’s case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James’s case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the center of every party.
When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart. James, consumed by guilt, sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to find a responsible party, no matter what the cost. Lydia’s older brother, Nathan, is certain that the neighborhood bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it’s the youngest of the family—Hannah—who observes far more than anyone realizes and who may be the only one who knows the truth about what happened.
A profoundly moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart. James, consumed by guilt, sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to find a responsible party, no matter what the cost. Lydia’s older brother, Nathan, is certain that the neighborhood bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it’s the youngest of the family—Hannah—who observes far more than anyone realizes and who may be the only one who knows the truth about what happened.
A profoundly moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
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3
notapuppy (Grade: A) As family dramas go this is one of the best I have ever read.
(Rated on Jul 3, 2015)
1
michelleleigh231
(Grade: C+) Just not a good book for me. Story line was okay just didn’t have me addicted.

(Rated on Jan 21, 2018)
1
Thrish
(Grade: B+) Being different is not easy. Being what someone else wants you to be is harder still. Navigating through life, never knowing who your real friends are, is a challenge. But through it all, you should always have support and love of family.

(Rated on May 1, 2018)
0
amcheri (Grade: A) I absolutely loved this book. It's not fast paced or filled with excitement but it's filled with characters who felt real - so very real - and we were allowed into their heads during some pretty hard times. I didn't think I'd like this book nearly as much as I did but it really moved me. I'm sad to be done with it. I recorded a video review on my website where I say pretty much the same thing. http://reviews.c-spot.net/archives/5348
(Rated on Jul 18, 2018)
0
lala (Grade: A) This book is already just incredible and about everything in the world, but it's also something I really needed in my life right now. cw shinee, jonghyun, onew, also spoilers I was so upset with Onew after the club incident and didn't know when I was going to be able to listen to or even look at SHINee again, but waking up that morning Jonghyun killed himself and reading the news, immediately none of that mattered. I had a whole little internal debate about it like am I betraying my own morals
(Rated on Jun 16, 2020)
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