“Everything I Never Told You”
By: Celeste Ng
Grade: A
“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.”
These powerful opening lines begin Celeste Ng’s poignant debut fiction novel, “Everything I Never Told You,” published in 2014.
In “Everything,” readers delve into the world of the Lees, a Chinese-American family of five living in 1970s Ohio. James is a Chinese professor of Wild West-era American history who just wants to fit in. His blonde-haired, blue-eyed American wife Marilyn wants to break free from the traditional matronly role society expects of her. Their son Nath is a spitting image of his father, and is often unfairly punished for it. Hannah is the daughter that flies under the radar — and Lydia is not.
When the police pull Lydia’s body out of a nearby lake, the family’s carefully crafted image comes undone — one member at a time. “Everything”examines how we understand one another, and how to cope when that understanding is tarnished.
From the start, it’s evident that “Everything” is a sad novel, but to sum it up as just that would be a great disservice. This book is spattered with a little bit of everything: loss, love, grievance, forgiveness, secrets and pressure, to name a few. It makes you feel a little bit of everything, too.
Ng’s ability to cram so much raw emotional conflict into one family that just wants to be ordinary is an exceptional feat. Not because it’s unlikely, but because she makes the conflict relatable. I sympathize with Nath’s longing to get away, just as I can understand Lydia’s pressure to be perfect, or Marilyn’s blind affection. These people are different characters, but they’re all just flawed humans. Ng never lets us forget it.
The Lee family’s internal struggles often stem from external factors — the most crippling being discrimination.
The author touches on discrimination in a few different ways, which makes this story stand out from a typical family drama novel. The plot takes place during a period in which being anything other than white in America is looked down upon. The Lees — apart from Marilyn — face daily harassment for their Chinese heritage, and Marilyn becomes estranged from her mother because of her interracial marriage.
The Lees are discriminated against as, it seems, the only Chinese-American family settled in their town. And sexism is a prevalent issue, as well.
This time period finds women beginning to take on predominantly male roles. Marilyn wants to be a doctor, but then forces that ambition onto Lydia when Marilyn loses her own chance. Ironically, these forms of discrimination, which originated in societal culture, are extremely present inside the Lee household.
James and Marilyn don’t want their kids to face the same judgment they were exposed to, yet they’re the ones inflicting that judgment upon themselves more than anyone. James is unfair — often cruel — to Nath for being small, uninterested in sports — and, get this — Chinese. He also pressures Lydia to be popular among friends.
The characters’ ever-present internal conflict calls attention to their human complexities as well as Ng’s fine prose. The perspective switches sporadically between the members of the Lee family, but the transitions are seamless because of each character’s distinct voice. Not a single word is wasted, nor is there an ingenuine moment.Thoughts flow easily — the diction is simple enough to capture your full attention.
“Everything” is as gripping as it is heartbreaking. The pressure Lydia feels to excel is something every college student can relate to, as it’s easy to feel like we’re about to crack under the weight of it all.
This book deals with relevant social and political themes — but most importantly, it reminds us that we’re not alone in our struggles.