After her seventeen year old brother, Denny, is beaten to death in a local restaurant on the night of his high school graduation, Ky Tran, a journalist, returns to home to Cabramatta for his funeral. While her mother makes offerings at Temple and her father sleeps in his slain son’s bed, Ky, learning the local police aren’t actively pursuing the case in part due to uncooperative witnesses, begins her own investigation, desperate to understand why Denny, who’d been voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ just hours earlier, was murdered.

Alternating between Ky’s voice and the perspectives of the witnesses, All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien is much more than a mystery as a young woman tries to solve the murder of her younger brother, this is a stunning novel that explores the themes of guilt, loss, grief, identity and belonging.

“There was so much that she wanted to say—to Denny, to her parents, to anyone who would listen. Apologies, explanations, painful observations that she knew revealed volumes of truth. The words in her head rushed to arrange themselves, colliding and falling in a panic, and in her desperate attempt to speak, she found that all her body would permit her to do was gasp.”

I’ve attempted to complete this review repeatedly but I just can’t seem to articulate my thoughts in a way that I feel does it justice. I found it truly moving, challenging and edifying as Lien writes viscerally of Ky’s complicated relationship with her family, with her community, with her culture, and with herself. I thought the exploration of the complex legacy of the immigrant experience, including inter-generational trauma, through the lives of several characters, was insightful and compassionate.

“There is no way for me to tell her that the loss began well before we were born, that our parents had loss, and their parents had loss, and our ancestors had loss— loss of home, loss of place, loss of self, loss of life—and we were born with that loss, carried it, burdened by it, part of it.”

I’m familiar with the Cabramatta Lien portrays in her novel, having worked in an adjacent suburb during the same time period. I was employed by an organisation that provided many types of support exclusively to Chinese and Vietnamese refugees, and the parents of the preschoolers in my care were eager for their children to thrive and succeed in Australian society. I was, and remain, infuriated with the media and politicians who were unwilling to understand and address the issues affecting the community, and instead amplified racism.

“They’re all fair dinkum this and everyone gets a fair go that. This is the luckiest country in the world, right?…But they don’t tell us that the luck doesn’t extend to us. That’s the big lie. They’ve been shoving it down our throats since we were kids. You’re a fool if you believe it. Not only are they not gonna look out for us, they’re gonna turn on us the moment they think we’re a threat.”

Lien’s prose is eloquent, authentic and expressive. I highlighted at least a dozen passages that I thought were well-articulated, though I’ve shared less than a handful here.

All That’s Left Unsaid is an extraordinary debut, Tracey Lien is an author with a lot to say, who left me speechless.

ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID is one of those books that starts off as a mystery but then ends up being so much more, leaving you emotionally exhausted at the end of it. If a book haunts my thoughts long after I turned the last page, I know that it has struck some deep emotion with me somewhere.

Ky, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, returns to her childhood home in Cabramatta after the violent death of her younger brother Denny Tran, killed at a local restaurant. Even though the murder happened in front of dozens of witnesses, everyone claims not to have seen anything, and the police investigation has come to a dead end so far. Dealing with her own grief and the heartbreak Denny’s death has caused her parents, Ky starts asking questions – someone just had to have seen who killed her brother. So why is no one talking?
Even though ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID centres around a murder, it is more than just a mystery. In her debut novel, Lien explores what it’s like to be an immigrant in Australia – and to be the child of immigrant parents. It is also an exploration of grief and guilt that transcends race and culture – because parents grieving for their child speak a universal language that is understood with the heart rather than words. The mark Denny’s death left on his parents broke my heart, especially as they are trying to get answers and find justice in a culture that is foreign to them, with many barriers standing in their way. Ky, on the other hand, also has burdens only a child of immigrant parents can understand. On top of her own grief, she juggles her parents’ expectations, the role of the “good child” she was cast into, the problem solver and translator, the one that got out and made a better life for herself.

The social commentary on immigrant life in Cabramatta thirty years ago was an eye opener for me, and added a lot of depth to the mystery. I loved the way Lien included other narrators in addition to the voice of Ky, our main protagonist. One character in particular really spoke to me and made me forge a deeper emotional connection to the story than I would have otherwise done.

In summary, dealing with the struggles of immigrant life in Australia, inter-generational trauma, grief, guilt and the way children of immigrant parents feel torn between two cultures, ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID was a mystery with a powerful message that really touched my heart. If you love Celeste Ng’s or Amy Tan’s books, then you should definitely read this one.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

This is a fantastic read, following the lives of Vietnamese immigrants living in Australia. For those whose family immigrated down to Australia, or for those who are Australian Born (whatever culture your background is), you may find some connection to this book. I in particular found some parts of the book relating to my childhood, and I'm an Australian-born Chinese with parents from Malaysia with Chinese ancestors.

The premise of this book follows Ky in particular, whose younger brother (Denny) has been murdered, and the local police are at a dead end regarding who killed him, as all witnesses claim to have seen nothing. The story jumps between the 'present' and Ky's childhood, and from there we are shown what her life was like, as an immigrant, and what her life was like growing up, with her family and friends.

For me, this is a definite must-read, and I look forward to reading more of Tracey Lien's work.

The title "All That's Left Unsaid" describes the heart of this story.....so many unsaid thoughts and emotions across a family and across the generations.
A family ripped apart by the murder of their golden boy...so much promise but a life violently taken in the volitile and drug doused suburb of Cabramatta. For a family who never have communicated well, tragedy striking throws all coping mechanisms go out the window. Ky returns home to become the 1 person able and willing to push for the truth about her brothers death. Language barriers, police indifference and overworked officers, teamed with witnesses who don't want to get involved....the truth is hard to find and even more heartbreakingly "close to home" real than Ky can imagine.
I wanted more of the murder mystery angle and didn't enjoy the slowing down into internal dialogue.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Tracey Lien for my copy to review.

Make sure you have a comfy seat and plenty of coffee on hand before you settle in to read All That's Left Unsaid because once you start, there's no stopping until you get to the end. This is a beautifully written, incredibly compelling story set in a unique community at a unique point of time, peopled with characters who will stay with you long after you've finished reading. The story itself is somewhere between a crime/mystery novel (Who killed Denny? Why is nobody talking?) and a character-driven study of a family in grief; moving, insightful and so very readable.

My rating:

Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Writing: 3 out of 5 stars
Character development: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Literary Fiction
Murder Mystery



Review:

This book tells the story of Ky a young journalist returning home to Cabramatta from Melbourne following the murder of her younger brother. Denny .She finds things don’t add up and decides to investigate and try and solve it herself.

This book also gives you an insight into the lives of Vietnamese immigrants who came to Australia after the Vietnam War and some of the issues and struggles they face and have had to deal with since coming to Australia as well as the differences in cultures.

This is a well written book, thought provoking, heart breaking and confronting at times. The characters are well developed but complex. They feel realistic and true to life. You feel their sadness, pain and trauma.
The book is not just a murder mystery or an easy story to read but it’s an important story that also gives an insight into the recent history of the Australian Vietnamese community.

Review copy provided by Netgalley at no cost to me

A story about the murder of Denny, a young boy graduating high school. and his sister's fight to discover the truth. Told from many perspectives, we hear from witnesses to the crime who originally denied seeing anything out of fear for their own safety as well as Ky's childhood friendship with Minnie and how that links to Denny's death. A solid story that was enjoyable, great to get to the truth and hear from Denny as well.

As someone who also grew up in South-Western Sydney in the 90s, I cherish the experience of reading this brilliant book. It was emotional, insightful, intelligent, compassionate and honest. A must read for ALL Australians and beyond. If your family left their homeland looking for a better life, you will be undoubtedly moved by this story, and if this is outside of your experience, well I sure you will be too.

A HUGE congratulations to the author, I’m so grateful to have this wonderful work of fiction out there in the world for all to enjoy.

All That's Left Unsaid is about a young woman searching for answers about why her younger brother, a studious high-achiever, was brutally murdered at his high school graduation dinner. As Ky tries to solve the mystery, the novel explores the experiences of Vietnamese immigrants in Cabramatta, Sydney, in the 1990s. It is clearly a subject that's close to the author's heart, and she paints a vivid and realistic picture of that world.

This isn't the type of book I'd normally pick up, and though I found it heavy going at times, it was well-written and thought-provoking.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing the Advance Review Copy of this book.

I don't feel that I am in a position to fairly critique this book, being of anglo-saxon origin and having been born and grown up here in Australia - my life experience of a privileged, white Australian. My family did however, host Vietnamese refugee families during the late 1970's as part of an effort to assist with cultural education, and I heard the most shocking stories first-hand of imprisonment, refugee camps and life in the Australian immigrant hostels.
This story is set in the 1990's in Cabramatta, a suburb of Sydney. Ky, now living and working as a journalist in Melbourne, is stunned to receive a phone call from her parents to say her young brother Denny, was beaten to death on the night of his high school graduation dinner. This sets Ky on a path to try and determine what drove someone to do this to her kind, gentle brother and why in a restaurant full of witnesses, did no one see anything.
If you are looking for a traditional murder-mystery, this is not it. If you are interested in understanding more about the endless obstacles and insults that immigrants are often faced with, then this may just be it.
This is a book that contains grief, pain and rejection. It is hard to read, and for me personally, it ripped a few more scales from my eyes.
Thank you Tracey Lien for your honesty and ability to convey a truth many of us would prefer not to hear. Thank you also Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

This was not an easy book to read, because of its distressing content, because of the rather difficult -to-connect -with characters, and because of the pacing of the story which, for me, was rather choppy and in many places encouraged me to skim rather than read. However, it was a thought=provoking story of the hardships and racism faced by immigrants in Australia in the 1990s (and I suspect this is still the case for many). Of course the terrible situations these Vietnamese immigrants had to deal with are multifactorial, and can't all be blamed on Australian policies and racist behaviours. The generational impacts on the children of immigrants; the high expectations put on them by their parents, is a common factor; but hopefully the physical abuse is not. The heroin epidemic of the 1990s in the town where the novel was set and the gang violence that went with it is horrific, and the impacts this environment had on the characters in this novel as they tried to adapt to this new and often cruel culture while still holding on to their own culture, is very well told. The 'thriller' or 'mystery' aspect relating to why Denny was murdered was, in itself, not the driving force of this story, but a stage on which the reader could be allowed glimpses into the struggles of these immigrants, doing their best to live a good life in this alien community of brash Australians. There was no suspense in the novel, which is not in itself a bad thing for a literary novel which I think this definitely is, but for me it did drag in quite a number of places, and seemed almost repetitive (eg Ky's parents' behaviours did not need to be so constantly repeated), because of the choppy and repetitive nature of the story line and because the characters weren't engaging.
For me this drops it to a 3 rather than 4, but even so I am glad I persevered because I did learn a great deal, and hopefully gained some insight. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC>

All That’s Left Unsaid

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book.

Ky is Vietnamese and moved to Australia with her family when she was little. Her and her brother Denny, who is 6 years younger than her, are good kids. They do well in school and don’t run with the naughty crowd. Ky goes to university and becomes a journalist. Denny continues to do well in school. The night of Denny’s senior prom he is brutally murdered. Those who were there claim to have seen nothing. The police are at a dead end. This does not sit well with Ky so she puts on her journalist hat and vows to find out the truth about her brothers death.

For me this book was slightly confusing. It kept jumping around between past and present and between different characters points of view. I had a hard time keeping up and if I got slightly distracted I’d find myself all of a sudden reading about someone totally different and an event that happened 15 years ago! Once I got my head around what was actually happening I did enjoy the book. I found that it was more than just a murder mystery and at times I felt like I was reading a personal diary. The author definitely had a small chip on her shoulder and liked to bring up racism at every opportunity.

Overall I found the concept of the book great and ended up enjoying it.

This was a fantastic read, following the lives of Vietnamese refugees living in Australia.

Ky comes home to attend the funeral of her younger brother, Denny. He had been brutally murdered in a restaurant, and no one saw a thing. Ky takes it upon herself to find out what really happened, and in doing so, confronts her upbringing, her friendships, and the relationships with her family.

It was refreshing to read a story from a different perspective and culture to mine. The pressure on these families to succeed in finding the “perfect life” after uprooting from everything they know is prevalent throughout. It’s something I never considered before, and I found it very interesting.
It highlights the difference between those who came from money and those who did not. The varying backgrounds and how they effect your choices.

A great read.

Ky Tran is the daughter of immigrant Vietnamese parents. Post Vietnam war, they moved to Australia with the hope that they could offer their two children a better life in Cabramatta, South-West Sydney. This suburb has one of the biggest Vietnamese communities in Australia but would soon become the hub for drugs and drug gangs.

Ky and her brother Denny rarely give their parents cause to stress. They are well behaved, work hard at school and are very aware of the crime issues in their community. They are careful to avoid trouble and don’t take any risks with their safety. There are five years between Ky and Denny, they are close but once Ky is done with school she moves away to study and eventually gets a job in journalism.

Ky’s parents often worry about Denny and her mother rings her asking for advice. She really has nothing to worry about, he is a straight A student and considering the crime stats in the area they live in he is a good kid. Therefore, when her mother rings to tell her that Denny is dead, correction - he has been murdered, Ky feels like the ground has been pulled out from under her.

How could this have happened? Her journalistic tendencies have her seeking out the truth so her family can eventually get some sort of closure. There was no autopsy done and all of the witnesses claim to have seen nothing. Why are they all lying? What are they afraid of? While dealing with the grief of losing her brother Ky sets out to dig for the truth, it’s the least she can do for her brother.

This is not my usual favoured genre but the blurb intrigued me as we have hosted international students from Vietnam over the last seven years so it piqued my interest. A really sad story that had no happy ending but a really interesting insight into the immigrant life in Cabramatta.

Wow! This book is an absolute must-read if you’re even a little bit curious about Australia’s early history with Vietnamese refugees and their settlement in Australia.
All That’s Left Unsaid is a work of fiction but its setting, 1990’s Cabramatta, a melting pot of white Australians and newly arrived Vietnamese refugees, almost becomes a character in its own right. Here we see people who had happy settled lives in Vietnam before being forced to flee, maybe spending years in refugee camps and subsequently finding themselves in a new country with language and cultural differences, prejudice and racism all creating huge challenges. “Cabramatta proved that a town could be gorgeous and sick, comforting and dangerous, imperfect but home.”
Against that background, journalist Ky Tran has returned to her parents’ home for the funeral of her murdered brother Denny. I admired Ky’s strength of character and her persistence in trying to find out what happened and why. I felt for her parents, her father drowning himself in alcohol and her mother busy trying to ensure Denny had a happy and good afterlife. The undeserved murder of their only son clearly devastated the whole family.
Tracey Lien has created an eye-opening story that is fast-paced, utterly enthralling and shocking at times but above all else this is a fabulous, beautifully written book.

This book is a fascinating novel showing the harsher side of life as a refugee in the 1990s.
Life in Cabramatta was not easy. In amongst the drugs and crime there’s a murder to solve, but with racism in full swing witnesses are nowhere to be found!
The storyline concentrates on the realities and struggles faced by those trying to live a better life.
The characters are strong, showing a great reflection of Australian society, culture and attitudes. A good picture of the times!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’d like to thank the publisher, NetGalley and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was steeped in authentic reality of life in cabramatta. The cultural challenges faced by those starting a new life in Australia. The gang related violences and nuances surrounding the complications associated with this lifestyle.

It was at times very depressing, but at the same time authentic to it's very core. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The author nailed the whole period of challenge that cabramatta faced during the timeframe that was depicted and I recall the constant news stories of gang related killings and crime that this town was plagued with.

The family depicted in this novel, was one of many trying to make a start and life for themselves, when tragedy strikes. From this point forward, unfolds a tale of suffering, grief, cultural differences, children left adrift, friendships tested and total devastation. But so well told. I am not going to give any further detail as I don't want to destroy the reader's enjoyment of discovery as they read this. But it is well worth the time.

All That’s Left Unsaid – Tracey Lien



I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in order to provide an honest review.



Tracey Lien is an Australian author who came from Vietnam. She has worked for the LA Times and now lives in New York. This is her debut novel.



Ky is a young girl living in Cabramatta, Sydney. She comes from a Vietnamese family who fled to Australia. Growing up things were hard for Ky but she had her dear friend Minnie to help, another young girl from a Vietnamese family just trying to fit in.

But as they years passed, they navigated their way through it all together. Ky also had a younger brother Denny. And for a while it was all of them hanging out after school and together dealing with the issues that came with trying to assimilate in a country that didn’t quite accept them. That is until Ky and Minnie had a falling out towards the end of high school. Minnie didn’t come from a happy and stable home, not like Ky – and this difference was starting to wear on Minnie.

Years later Ky works as a journalist in Melbourne and her brother Denny is graduating high school. But she gets a call that threatens to shake her to her very foundations. Denny went out with friends to a popular restaurant in town – and was killed. He was beaten to death and no one there will talk to the Police. Ky needs answers – she needs to know what happened, why was her brother killed. He was a good and innocent kid with his life ahead of him

Ky embarks on a journey to uncover the truth putting all her journalistic skills to the test. To find out what could have possibly caused anyone to kill her brother and what was so awful about it that no one will talk. Just be careful what you wish for and make sure you can handle the truth.



“All That’s Left Unsaid” is a sad and heart wrenching crime thriller. So many elements really pulled on my heart strings as I was reading this. What families and kids went through at the time trying to assimilate and how hard people made it for them when all they needed was just a little help and understanding. And what really got to me the most is how someone could just see a horrific crime take place and literally do nothing about it – not even call the Police after and tell them. But what makes this sadder is this story probably was close to the truth for some people. We are all people and no one should have to suffer needlessly, we should all be there to help and support one another. As you can tell this book was really well written, it evokes powerful emotions and responses from the reader, thus engaging them and making them become invested in the characters and the story arc.

This was slow to start and never really grabbed me. I kept reading because the mystery was interesting and I wanted a conclusion. However, it's the social commentary that earns this a higher rating. The complexity of the relationships was engrossing; as were the experiences and difficulties of leaving one country for another. It was fascinating to see both sides of the expectations and consequences of fleeing Vietnam for the chance at a better life. Systemic racism and cultural pressures bring a lot to bear on this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I tend to avoid sad or distressing books, and It took me a while to get through the barrier, evident early, that this would challenge my interest and resolve, I’m very glad I persevered. It proved to be a book rich in understanding of poverty, trauma, dislocation - and their generational impacts. It captures the domestic and personal minutiae of people adapting, holding on to what they know, what they hope and what they can’t avoid. It exposes fears, assumptions and protection devices used by all of us, regardless of culture, to get by and live. It is a very nuanced novel - unpeeling stereotypes and eschewing tidy outcomes.

To match the novel’s nuance, I’d give it around 4.8 stars in a nuanced star system. The thread of investigation is almost, but not quite, lost in a couple of places and I’m uneasy about the last couple of pages. Yet as part of the majority of Australians whose family arrived here in the last 100 years, I recognise, for the first time I can remember in a novel, the damage and resilience coexisting in those of my family who brought with them, and transmitted, trauma from their country of birth.

This portrayal and understanding is hugely important.