（伍绮诗）is a 2014 debut novel about a mixed‑race Chinese‑American family torn apart by the death of their favorite daughter.
Basic setup
• Time & place: 1970s, small town Middlewood, Ohio.
• Family:
◦ James Lee: Chinese‑American history professor, obsessed with fitting in.
◦ Marilyn Lee: white former pre‑med student, dreams of being a doctor.
◦ Nathan (Nath): older brother, quiet, space‑obsessed, Harvard‑bound.
◦ Lydia: 16, middle child, parents’ favorite; blue eyes, black hair.
◦ Hannah: youngest, quiet, observant, overlooked.
Plot
1. Opening: May 3, 1977 — Lydia is missing. Her body is found days later in the town lake, ruled a drowning.
2. Secret life of Lydia:
◦ Parents think she’s popular and a top student; in truth she’s lonely, friendless, grades failing.
◦ Pressured by mom to be a doctor, by dad to be “popular”.
◦ She pretends to comply, but breaks down secretly.
3. Family collapse after death:
◦ Marilyn: furious, suspects murder, fixated on finding someone to blame.
◦ James: guilt‑ridden, has an affair with his teaching assistant, Louisa.
◦ Nath: convinced local bad boy Jack is involved; they fight.
◦ Hannah: watches everything, knows more than she says.
4. The truth about Lydia’s death:
◦ Lydia felt abandoned when Nath left for Harvard.
◦ She tried to connect with Jack, but Jack is gay and in love with Nath.
◦ Crushed, failing exams, fearing her dad’s affair, she goes to the lake at night.
◦ She decides to “start over,” to stop pretending. She wades into the water — she cannot swim — and drowns.
5. Ending: The family slowly confronts their secrets, guilt, and unspoken pain; they begin to understand each other and heal.
Core theme
“We spend our whole lives trying to free ourselves from others’ expectations and find who we truly are.”
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