Summary
Everything I Never Told You, published in 2014, is the debut novel of critically acclaimed author Celeste Ng. Set in 1970s Ohio, the novel explores themes of identity, belonging, the weight of parental expectations, loss, and grief through the gripping tale of a Chinese-American family. The novel topped Amazon's Best Books of the Year list for 2014 and garnered numerous accolades, including the Massachusetts Book Award and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature.
Plot
Set in 1970s Ohio, Everything I Never Told You opens with the death of Lydia Lee, the middle child of a Chinese-American family. Her body is found in the local lake, shocking her parents, James and Marilyn Lee. As the police investigate, it becomes clear that Lydia's life was not what her parents believed it to be. Contrary to their assumptions about her popularity and academic success, Lydia was isolated and struggling in school.
The novel delves into the past, revealing how James and Marilyn met and married. James, the son of Chinese immigrants, yearned for acceptance, while Marilyn dreamed of becoming a doctor. Their marriage and move to Ohio led to Marilyn abandoning her career aspirations to become a homemaker, a decision she later regretted. This regret manifested in her pushing Lydia to pursue a medical career, placing immense pressure on her daughter.
Meanwhile, James favored Lydia over their son, Nathan, hoping she would achieve the social acceptance he never had. This favoritism created tension between the siblings, though they eventually formed a close bond. As teenagers, Lydia struggled with her parents' expectations and began spending time with Jack, a neighbor boy. Nathan, feeling neglected, was accepted to Harvard, but Lydia hid his acceptance letter, fearing abandonment.
On the night of her death, Lydia went to the lake intending to face her fears by swimming. Tragically, she drowned. In the aftermath, James has an affair, and Marilyn discovers the truth about their daughter's life. The family must confront their long-held secrets and misunderstandings. Nathan, still suspecting Jack's involvement in Lydia's death, confronts him at the lake. The novel concludes with the family beginning to address their grief and the rifts between them.
Themes
Family dynamics and expectations
Racial identity and discrimination
Secrets and miscommunication
Grief and loss
Gender roles and societal pressures
Pursuit of dreams and personal fulfillment
Coming of age and self-discovery
Setting
Everything I Never Told You is set primarily in the 1970s in a small town in Ohio. This era was marked by significant social and cultural changes in the United States, including the ongoing civil rights movement, second-wave feminism, and shifting attitudes towards race and gender roles. The novel explores these themes through the lens of the Lee family's experiences as a mixed-race household in a predominantly white community.
The story unfolds against the backdrop of suburban America, with much of the action taking place in the Lee family home and the surrounding neighborhood. The local lake, where Lydia's body is discovered, serves as a central and symbolic location within the narrative. Other key settings include Middlewood College, where James Lee teaches, and the high school attended by the Lee children.
Characters
Lydia Lee: The middle child of the Lee family and the novel’s central figure. Lydia is a 16-year-old girl who struggles under the weight of her parents' expectations. From her mother, she feels pressure to excel academically, while her father wants her to be popular. Lydia's body is found in a local lake at the beginning of the story, sparking the family's unraveling.
James Lee: Lydia's father, a Chinese-American history professor. James faced discrimination throughout his life and yearns for his children to fit in and be popular. He places immense pressure on Lydia to succeed socially, projecting his own insecurities onto her. James struggles with his identity and his role in the family.
Marilyn Lee: Lydia's mother, a white woman who gave up her dreams of becoming a doctor to raise a family. Marilyn pushes Lydia to excel academically, hoping her daughter will fulfill the ambitions she abandoned. She grapples with regret and the loss of her own identity after Lydia's death.
Nath Lee: Lydia's older brother, a gifted student accepted to Harvard. Nath has a close but complex relationship with Lydia, marked by both protection and resentment. He struggles with being overlooked by his parents and harbors suspicions about the circumstances of Lydia's death.
Hannah Lee: The youngest Lee child, often overlooked by her family. Hannah is observant and intuitive, noticing things her family members miss. She plays a crucial role in uncovering the truth about Lydia's death.
Jack Wolff: A neighbor and classmate of Lydia and Nath. Jack has a reputation as a troublemaker and becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding Lydia's death. His true feelings and motivations are revealed later in the story.
Louisa Chen: James's graduate student, who engages in an affair with him. Louisa represents a connection to James's Chinese heritage and an escape from his marital troubles.
Quick facts
Celeste Ng devoted six years to writing Everything I Never Told You, her debut novel, going through four complete drafts before publication.
The story is set in 1970s Ohio and follows a Chinese-American family.
Ng was inspired to write about a mixed-race family partly based on her experiences as an Asian-American growing up in Ohio.
The novel explores themes of racial identity, family dynamics, and the pressure of parental expectations.
The book topped Amazon's Best Books of the Year list for 2014, beating out works by Stephen King and Hilary Mantel.
Everything I Never Told You won multiple awards, including the 2015 Massachusetts Book Award and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature.
The audiobook is narrated by Cassandra Campbell, an AudioFile Golden Voice recipient.
The book's rights were initially optioned for a feature film, with Julia Roberts attached to star.
In 2020, the rights were acquired by Annapurna TV to be adapted as a limited series instead.
About the Author
Celeste Ng (1980-) is a critically acclaimed American author of short stories and novels. Her debut novel, Everything I Never Told You (2014), a gripping family drama set in 1970s Ohio, won numerous accolades, including Amazon's Book of the Year. Her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere (2017), further cemented her reputation as a masterful storyteller. It was adapted into a highly successful Hulu miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
The daughter of parents who emigrated from Hong Kong, Ng was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She graduated from Harvard University and earned an MFA from the University of Michigan, where she later taught writing.
Throughout her career, Ng has received prestigious honors, including a Pushcart Prize for her short story “Girls at Play” and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. Her work, known for its nuanced exploration of family dynamics, race, and identity, has been translated into over 30 languages. Ng's third novel, Our Missing Hearts (2022), continues to showcase her ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers worldwide.
Beyond her writing, Ng is an advocate for social justice causes. She has used her platform to raise awareness about issues such as immigrant family separation, demonstrating her commitment to using literature as a tool for social change. Ng currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she continues to write and inspire aspiring authors.
