Book Review: Everything I Never Told You, By Celeste Ng

I realise that I am a little late to the party on this one, as this is a book that everyone was talking about a few years ago, following its publication in 2015, but I have finally read it and I need to talk about it.

It is a while since I have been so moved by a book and so consumed by thoughts of what might have been.

This book opens with the line "Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet." which is certainly an eye-catching opener. We follow Lydia's family as they report her missing and her body is discovered, and then through the heartbreaking months that follow as they try to understand what happened and come to terms with her death.

Lydia Lee is mixed race with a second generation Chinese father and an American mother. In small- town Ohio of the 1970s this is a big deal and the repercussions of this 'difference' cause problems for all 5 of the Lees. Each member of her family has their own demons to address: Lydia's mother is desperate for Lydia to be different, to confront stereotypes and stand out from the crowd; whilst her father is desperate for her to be liked and fit in as he has always felt like an outsider; her older brother wants to break free from his family; and her younger sister just wants to be loved for herself and not feel she is living in Lydia's shadow.

 The story flits back and forth in time between the present day following Lydia's death, the months leading up to her death, and all the way back to the early days of her her parents' relationship in order to provide insights into what happened to Lydia. This is never confusing and always works well, revealing information subtly to the reader. 

The subplot around their neighbour Jack never really works for me and the revelation concerning him near the end is unconvincing but this is a small point and does not detract from the overall experience. This is a tragic and thought provoking novel exploring themes of identity, growing up, fitting in and finding your place in the world. It also poignantly discusses the nature of love, regret and the sacrifices we make for love. It is an incredibly sad book, but I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

If you haven't read Hannah Kent's books, you should.

Hannah Kent is a fantastic author, with a rare ability to transport the reader completely to another time and place. I have just finished reading The Good People and cannot stop thinking about it. I read it in the car on a journey through France, with 4 others in the car including 3 children, and despite those distractions I was totally immersed in the world she describes.

Hannah Kent has only written 2 novels and both start from a fascinating point of inspiration - old court reports. She takes a particular character from history, out of these court reports and builds a fictional account of their lives and crimes, with the help of contemporary newspaper reports. And the results are engrossing stories with a crime / mystery at their heart, where the reader needs to discover what happens.

The Good People takes place in rural Ireland in the 1820s and tells the story of Nora Leahy  whose daughter and husband die within months of each other leaving her alone to take care of her crippled grandson, Michael Kelliher. She hires a maid, Mary, to help with this task and together they seek the advice of local "wise woman" Nance Roche. In this case, Nance Roche and Michael Kelliher are the real people mentioned in court reports from Tralee, Co.Kerry, in 1826.

The community these characters live in is very remote and life is hard. Famine and eviction are very real, almost constant threats. Whilst godfearing Catholic people, heavily influenced by the local priest, there is also strong belief in fairies, known as "the Good People" and many rituals are practised to discourage fairy mischief in their lives. Nance Roche is often consulted by villagers who believe she understands the ways of the fairies.
The world described is so different to our own, yet the characters are utterly believable and often likeable. Particularly touching is the relationship between Mary and Michael, the boy she cares for. She begins by being frightened off him, but soon grows to love him.

This is a desperately sad story of a community that has their traditional ways and beliefs come sharply into conflict with the modern world, with tragic consequences. 

Kent's debut novel, Burial Rites, is also set in the 1820s, but this time in Iceland. It concerns the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland, who was convicted of murder in 1828. She is given into the reluctant care of a farming family until the sentence can be carried out, and is assigned a trainee minister as her spiritual mentor and the story of her crime is revealed through her meetings with him. Again, the writing is fantastic and the time and place is evoked with incredible intensity. Not a happy story, but a brilliant work of fiction that will totally transport the reader.

I am really hoping that Hannah Kent writes another book soon!