3.25 out of 4 stars.
This book started off as a murder mystery that I thought for sure I could crack. It was all the classics; a missing girl, a dangerous lake nearby, a wild neighbor that started hanging around, and a mysterious family. I was sure that this would be a pretty straightforward story. However, Celeste Ng starts to weave in very profound undertones for this book that gave it a lot more depth than just a regular suspense thriller.
For one thing Lydia Lee the girl that turned up dead is from a biracial family. Lydia’s father is from an Asian background and her mother is from Virginia. Since this book takes place in the middle of the 70s it is not common for these two to end up with each other. Although they were able to find love, a lot of other people in the small town are still judgmental. This leaves the Lee family with a lot of pressure to overcompensate for this criticism by being the absolute best. A motto that is heavily falling onto the children of the tribe.
The load on their shoulders is not just coming from the outside world but also within the walls of their very own household. Lydia’s mother, Marilyn, was on the fast track to become a doctor but never made it there due to falling in love and raising a family. This is something that she will hold as resentment and a regret toward James. James, Lydia’s father, is very self absorbed and hardly notices his wife’s animosity. James’ number one hope is for his children is to get out there and make as many friends as possible. However, this is no easy feat when the kids are clearly telling them they are being bullied.
With the two heads of the house dealing with their own deep rooted pain and emotions it is obvious that it may trickle down to their children; Nat (oldest), Lydia (middle), and Hannah (youngest).
This book jumps from race and family issues eloquently and in a way that will make you stop and think. Sometimes pain is so hidden and frowned upon that one can’t even see for themselves how much they are hurting. A thoughtful piece that I would recommend for you to pick up and educate yourself on and it doesn’t hurt that a murder mystery is wrapped up within it.
Post mark: Thank you to Michael Boles for sharing this book with me. I feel more cultured already.
