A mixed race family will anyway face questions. Even today it is very often so. At the time this story is set the family is an unusual family unit. Only one of two families of Chinese American ancestry. The parents know that perceptions of people around them are biased and prejudiced but they pretend they do not exist and live in a little vacuum thinking everything is going on smoothly.
The pressure on Lydia to excel and become the doctor her mother could not become is the start of a cycle of events ending with the sudden death of Lydia. Her brother's acceptance at Harvard seals the fate of the family because for Lydia, Nath has found his freedom and the way to escape from a house which has now become a prison. Hannah the youngest is all but forgotton in the drama of Lydia and Nath's lives coupled with their parents and it is only at the very end that she comes into her own as an individual.
The story is a heart breaking one. Parents not knowing what is going on in their children's lives and knowing only in hindsight that things have gone horribly wrong. Too little too late and something you can never rectify. For someone to have to live with that for the rest of your life must be horrific.
Ms Ng brings the story very much to life.Sad though the story is it is a very good read and another book which one had to read quickly.
This does sound heartbreaking but I bet a lot of people will be able to relate to it.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds pretty good. My sister recommended it to me but I haven't read it yet. I've heard it is a good book for book clubs too. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteI tried this one last year Mystica and just couldn't get through it. I said I would try again and was hoping maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.
ReplyDeleteLoved your review. I had lunch with a good friend today who said she just finished reading this book. Her thoughts were similar to yours.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of this but didn't know what it was about. Sounds like tough but rewarding reading. I am going to keep it in mind.
ReplyDeleteThis book was excellent on audio, too... one of my favorites a couple of years ago. Great review!
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