Ng, Celeste: *1980

Everything I Never Told You, 2014 - Summary

The novel opens with Lydia's body being discovered in a local lake. Her parents, Marilyn and James, are devastated, realizing they didn't truly know their daughter. Marilyn had pinned her dreams of becoming a doctor on Lydia, while James hoped she would be popular, unlike his own lonely childhood. As the police investigate, the family unravels. James, consumed by guilt, begins distancing himself. Marilyn becomes obsessed with finding someone to blame. The older son Nathan suspects the neighborhood troublemaker Jack is involved, while the youngest Hannah harbors her own secrets about what happened to Lydia. Through flashbacks, the novel reveals the parents' backstories and how their unfulfilled ambitions shaped their treatment of the children. James faced racism growing up, while Marilyn abandoned her dream of becoming a doctor to be a housewife. Their hopes and disappointments manifested in favoring Lydia over her siblings.
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