The book begins on

May 3, 1977

May 3 1977 is important because

It is the "Summer of Sam".

Usually left next to Lydia's cereal bowl in the morning was

Physics homework

The first sentence of this novel tells us that

Lydia is dead.

On the night of her disappearance, what time did Nath hear a radio in Lydia's room?

11:30 p.m.

Marilyn's hair is

Honey blonde

How old was Lydia when Marilyn accidentally put her hand down on a hot burner on the stove?

11 months

What is the question Marilyn asks herself when Lydia surprises her by toddling into the kitchen?

What else have you been hiding?

Lydia goes to school

Middlewood High

Marilyn calls the high school and learns

Lydia has been marked absent in 11th grade physics.

What did Marilyn give up when she married James

Relationship with her mother AND Her dream of medical school

What factors contribute to Lydia's isolation from other students her age?

She is one of only two Chinese Americans in the school AND She isn't allowed to go to parties

Nath hates Jack because

He was ostracized by Jack and his friends at the Y when he was young.

The police in this novel tell the Lee family that most "missing girl" cases

Are resolved within a day's time

What does James want for his daughter?

He wants her to have friends and a social life.

What does Marilyn want for her daughter?

She wants her to go to medical school.

What is one of the "everythings" that Marilyn does not tell her family?

That she feels cheated out of her professional dream by the Institutions of marriage and parenthood

What is the one of the "everythings" that Nath does not tell his family?

That he has information about Lydia's life that might be important

What is one of the "everythings" that James does not tell his family?

That he is having an adulterous affair

What is the "everything" Lydia does not tell her family?

That all she really wants is for Marilyn to stay in the family home

What is the "everything" Hannah does not tell her family?

That Jack is in love with Nath

What sets Lydia apart from the other Lee children?

She has blue eyes.

What does Ng imply is the Lees' greatest parenting mistake?

They try to realize their own dreams through their second-born child.

What happened to Nath's first letter from Harvard?

It was stolen by Lydia.

Lydia's remains are found:

In the lake

Lydia snuck out of her house the last time she was seen:

Because she wanted to start all over again and conquer her fear of being alone