English Book Study Notes
- Lydia's mother, Marilyn, is a white woman who grew up in a small town and faced discrimination for wanting to become a doctor. Her experiences with racism and sexism shape her worldview and influence how she raises her children.
- Lydia's father, James, is a Chinese American man who faces discrimination both in his personal life and in his career as a college professor. He feels pressure to assimilate into white American culture and often downplays his Chinese heritage.
- Lydia's brother Nath faces racism from his peers at school, who call him racial slurs and make fun of his family's food and traditions.
- Lydia herself struggles with her identity as a mixed-race person. She feels pressure to fit in with her white classmates but also wants to connect with her Chinese heritage.
- The novel explores how different characters' experiences with race intersect with their experiences of gender, class, and family dynamics.
- The opening paragraph sets the scene for the day of Lydia's disappearance and introduces each family member.
- Lydia's father is a college professor who has high expectations for his children, particularly Lydia.
- Lydia's mother gave up her dreams of becoming a doctor to marry and have children.
- Lydia's brother Nath is protective of her but also feels overshadowed by her success.
- Lydia's younger sister Hannah is observant and often overlooked by the rest of the family.
- After Lydia's body is found in a nearby lake, the family struggles to come to terms with their loss and grapples with secrets that are revealed in the aftermath.
- James faces discrimination from his colleagues at the college where he teaches. They make fun of his accent and his Chinese heritage, and he feels like he has to work twice as hard as his white colleagues to be taken seriously.
- When James and Marilyn first start dating, Marilyn's mother tells her that it's not right for a white woman to be with a Chinese man. This comment deeply affects Marilyn and strains her relationship with her mother.
- James also faces racism from strangers in public. For example, on page 96, two little girls throw pebbles at his car when they see him brake at a stop sign.
- Throughout the novel, James struggles with feeling like an outsider in both Chinese and American culture. He feels like he doesn't fully belong in either world.