What We Left Unsaid

A Novel

By: Winnie M Li

Narrated by: Vera Chok

On an unexpected road trip, three estranged siblings uncover a startling family secret and larger truths about being Asian American in a post-COVID world—from the author of the “dazzling and devastating” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author) thriller Complicit.

The Chu siblings haven’t seen each other in years but when they’re told that their ailing mother is scheduled for an operation next month, they agree to visit her together. Then their mother makes an odd request: before seeing her, they must go on a road trip together to the Grand Canyon.

Thirty years ago, a strange incident had aborted a previous family road trip there. No one’s ever really spoken about it, but during thisjourney, the middle-aged Chu siblings have no choice but to confront their childhood experience.

Together, Bonnie, Kevin, and Alex travel along Route 66—but as the trip continues, they realize the Great American Road Trip may not be what they expected. Facing their own prejudices and those of others, they somehow learn to bridge the distances between them, the present-day, and their past.

With “powerful and beautiful writing” (Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author), Winnie M Li weaves an emotive and eye-opening exploration of family, race, growing up, and what it means to be American.

goodfamilystory

Great story. Who read the story? Pronunciation was terrible throughout the book. Capillary pronounced cap illary, it's cap a larry. Mesa pronounced Mess a, it's maaysa. On and on,what's up with that?!

Beautiful Story

Beautiful story of families over time, coming back to each other and providing support and unconditional love. Also, recognizing different perspectives on memories and experiences. The only negative was the author’s own bias towards white people, and white men in particular as predatory creatures, which seemed overly inflammatory. For someone who throughout the story has her characters seek the truth behind racist events in US history, her words (including redneck) to generalize entire populations was disappointing and hypocritical. And this is not a love story of the US along Route 66; it is often a scathing commentary on “this country” by a character who lives in the UK.