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A review by mamadaughterbookclub
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Randy Ribay explores inter-generational trauma through four generations of fathers and sons in a Filipino family, switching between timelines and POVs to focus on the time when each of the men were teenagers. We have the family patriarch, Francisco, recently immigrated from the Philippines and working as a farm laborer in California (1930). His son Emil has a strained relationship with Francisco, who has become a well known farm laborer activist fighting for the rights of Filipino immigrants (1965). Emil's son Chris longs to be a football player, but his strict father wants him to focus on only academics, while not sharing anything about his own grandfather's heritage as a Filipino immigrant (1983). And Enzo, sweet, sensitive, anxiety-ridden Enzo, whose life is turned upside down with the arrival of a global pandemic and his grandfather Emil moving in with them (2020).
Each Maghabol boy goes through their own struggles with identity and belonging. Each experience things that shape their own lives, and how they raise their own sons. We see Francisco experience prejudice and hate, as he wonders if he should have stayed in the Philippines. We see Emil turn his back on his Filipino heritage, upset that his father has chosen to fight for others instead of spending time with his own family. We see him become an overbearing and authoritative father to his own son, Chris, to make up for his father not being around, always pushing Chris to focus on his education and the stability of a dependable career. We see Chris start to explore his own ancestral history and the political landscape of a volatile nation led by a dictator, and how he raises Enzo in a different way than he was raised. And we see these generations of Maghabol men heal through Enzo.
It's a book that makes me ponder the things in our young lives that shape us. That define who we are. That determine what path we're going to take. And set across these 4 different time periods, the stories woven together make for a fascinating and absorbing read.
It's less than 300 pages and I found myself wanting a little bit more. This is a must read book. Recommended for ages 12+.
Each Maghabol boy goes through their own struggles with identity and belonging. Each experience things that shape their own lives, and how they raise their own sons. We see Francisco experience prejudice and hate, as he wonders if he should have stayed in the Philippines. We see Emil turn his back on his Filipino heritage, upset that his father has chosen to fight for others instead of spending time with his own family. We see him become an overbearing and authoritative father to his own son, Chris, to make up for his father not being around, always pushing Chris to focus on his education and the stability of a dependable career. We see Chris start to explore his own ancestral history and the political landscape of a volatile nation led by a dictator, and how he raises Enzo in a different way than he was raised. And we see these generations of Maghabol men heal through Enzo.
It's a book that makes me ponder the things in our young lives that shape us. That define who we are. That determine what path we're going to take. And set across these 4 different time periods, the stories woven together make for a fascinating and absorbing read.
It's less than 300 pages and I found myself wanting a little bit more. This is a must read book. Recommended for ages 12+.