Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Goodreads Rating: 3.86

2015 Copyright 297 Pages

An Interesting Story! ‘Everything I Never Told You’ by Celeste Ng is a beautifully written novel about a Chinese American family living in a small Ohio town in the 1970s. Marilyn and James Lee met during college, married young and moved to Ohio where James is a professor at a local college. Marilyn is a stay-at-home mom to their three children having given up her dreams of becoming a doctor. In their own mind they are a typical American family

Until tragedy strikes and their eldest daughters’ body is found at a local lake. Lydia was an excellent student, had many friends and was involved in extra-curricular activities at school; at least that is what Marilyn and James had always believed. How well did they know their daughter? How well do they know their other children, Nath and Hannah? How well do they know themselves?

The story takes us through the good times of when Marilyn and James first met and married to the difficult times of being a young interracial couple, their hopes and dreams for themselves and their children. But hopes and dreams of one is not always the same for another. What’s most important; pleasing another or pleasing yourself? Do your own personal choices really affect other people?

After such a devastating loss, the Lee family continues to struggle in their communications with each other and other people in their lives. Will they be able to recover? Will their family survive? ‘Everything I Never Told You’ is a story that will tug at your heartstrings while causing you to think of the struggle’s others go through when they are different from yourself. Another eye-opening diversity read from author Celest Ng.

Word Count: 298