Thank you to Atria Books via NetGalley for the ARC.

What We Left Unsaid was quite a lovely book, but I admittedly have mixed feelings.

We start with the Chu siblings’ mom having a stroke and her request for them to come visit her after they make a trip to the Grand Canyon. She wants them to finish the trip they attempted in 1991.

It is important to note that the parents are immigrants from Taiwan, but the children were born in America. This does come up time and time again, as it does inform the story. The siblings are Bonnie, the oldest and responsible one. Married to a generational man. Kevin, the son, also well off in his own right. Since he is the son, there is a higher view of him. And Alex, the youngest, the free spirit.

Throughout the sibling’s journey to the Grand Canyon, you see how much of their relationship is fractured. You also see how they fall into their roles. Bonnie trying to make peace, and Kevin and Alex going back and forth sniping at each other.

What this book does well:
1. The sibling bickering. That was so realistic! It took me back to fighting with mine.
2. The sibling arguments (different from a bicker). The blame and resentment has built up, and that was an incredibly visual argument that puts you in the moment. You are in their shoes.
3. Accurate societal and familial expectations. We know what it’s like to have certain expectations put on us, and we know the impact and pressure it creates. We see it play out on their journey.
4. The message of belonging vs an outsider. Can you belong even if you were born there? What does belonging even mean? Do their parents feel like they belong? How do you make space for yourself and say I’m here and belong?

What this book doesn’t do well:
1. The amount of messaging. I need this to be said: There are so many important messages in this book. It talks about racism, misogyny, homophobia, immigration, politics, and sexual assault. I agree with these very important messages. HOWEVER, there are so many messages that I wonder if it was doing too much?
2. The ending. The book had a very strong and tight narrative in the beginning, that the ending sort of fell flat. It didn’t have the same strong narrative, and it was too neat of an ending that it was almost unbelievable for me.

A solid 3.75 stars, and I would recommend as I did enjoy the story

This was a rich and engaging novel. It tells the story of three somewhat estranged Taiwanese siblings taking a road trip on Route 66 at the behest of their cancer-stricken, presumably dying mother. The chapters move between the present day and 1991, when their parents took them on a road trip to the Grand Canyon--a trip that was ultimately aborted for reasons that remain hazy in the siblings' minds today. As we gradually come to see, the siblings were all impacted in varied ways by that aborted trip. I found the characters interesting, even though they could be a bit annoying at times. There was a fair bit of sibling bickering along the road trip, which may not be to everyone's taste but was believable to me. Some of the plot twists were a bit outside the realm of believability, but not so much that they compromised my positive assessment of the novel.

We all should take a trip like this! Families are ALL in need of this book. I'd love to be able to travel with sibs, j: ust to understand everyone different views. perception is a wonderful thing!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A trio of siblings go on a road trip to visit their mother after she suffered a stroke. The trip helps them deal with emotional trauma they suffered during a brutal incident during their childhood.

Absolutely excellent read the author has a lyrical voice that drew me in.The characters come alive I hares to put the book down.This is a five star read for me. #netgalley#atriabooks

i really wanted to love this book and in many ways, i appreciated what it tried to do. the premise was so deeply personal: estranged siblings, a complicated mother, a road trip that forces you to face not only family history but the larger question of identity, belonging, and what it means to be Asian American today. there were moments that resonated with me though: small reflections on family, memory, and how silence shapes us more than words sometimes. i could feel the heart behind this story. i could feel the ache of trying to capture something as complicated as family and diaspora.

but if I’m honest, the story didn’t fully land for me. it felt scattered at times, like it was pulling me in too many directions without giving me enough time to sit with the characters or their emotions. i finished the last page feeling a little distant, like I should feel something bigger, but I didn’t. and maybe that’s okay. not every book will crack us open. some stories will brush past us gently reminding us that even in the messiness, in the things left unsaid, there’s still something to take with us.

this wasn’t quite the story for me, but I know it might be the exact story someone else needs.

thank you for the arc Atria Books. I always appreciate them.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “What We Left Behind” has an expected publication date of August 19, 2025.
And you can check out all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) blog site.
I love books whose storyline pulls me in right at the start. “What We Left Behind” does that.
Unfortunately, it loosens its grip a bit too often thereafter.
The three Chu siblings – Bonnie (the oldest), Kevin and Alex, first generation Americans born to Taiwanese parents – haven’t seen or spoken to each other in years. That changes when their mother, living in southern California, suffers a mini stroke. She makes an unusual request via a Face Time group call. Thirty years ago, the family had set out on a road trip to the Grand Canyon, only to turn around following an unusual incident just an hour from the historic site. She wants her children to meet up, drive to the Grand Canyon, then continue for a family visit in California.
The logistics are challenging. Bonnie lives with her husband and three sons near Boston; Kevin with his wife and two children in Chicago; and Alex lives in London with her expectant wife Nya, who’s black.
Still, they agree to make the trip. But their resentment toward each other, as well as their parents, is evident. No one tries to hide the animosity they feel, partly toward each other, but also themselves, because each of the siblings has their own set of challenges in their personal lives to address. And much of that stems from the mystery surrounding why the family vacation was suddenly cut short thirty years ago.
From that positive premise, the tightly wound narrative begins to unwind into a travelogue of the U.S., with contrived situations thrown in to bring to the surface the personalities and backstory of each sibling. Some of the scenarios are a bit unrealistic, but they do help in understanding what the siblings are up against.
The climax is not much of a climax, and the great mystery is one easily deciphered from the periodic chapter flashbacks to the family’s trip thirty years ago. So, there are no surprises. But it is interesting seeing how each of the siblings not only gradually reconciles their respective differences with each other, but also within their own lives.
“What We Left Unsaid” is a quick and easy read, but the air does come out of the balloon little by little as the narrative moves forward. Three-and-one-half stars for an interesting but flawed family saga.

3.5 stars. This story had so much promise.

We follow the Chu siblings, now in their 40s with their own families in different parts of the world. They have long since drifted from each other, but when their mom suffers from a stroke, they are asked to return home after completing a road trip to the Grand Canyon - the destination that their family failed to get to on a significant day in 1991. As the siblings reluctantly reunite for this week-long trip, they piece out what happened on that trip thirty years ago and finally come to understand and accept each other.

The story had a very strong start. It’s clear from the beginning that the 1991 trip affected each of the siblings in different ways, and that unraveling the mystery of why their parents decided to prematurely return home that day will be the key to siblings accepting their parents and each other. Their resentment is STRONG, and being stuck with each other for seven days will inevitably help them let things go.

Under this context, the formation and start of this trip is satisfyingly realistic. These siblings clearly have issues with each other, and their reunion sparks some expected tension. Each sibling has a uniquely Asian American disposition, and I was eager to see how they would come to accept and appreciate each other’s differences in this context.

Then the trip becomes very fictionally eventful. The story became very plot-forward, and the literary aspect felt a bit lost. I could see how these events linked to the needed character development, but they just felt too far-fetched.

The mystery “reveal” ended up being a bit anticlimactic, and the ending felt inconclusive. I wanted to see a deeper focus on how they came to accept each other’s flaws and preferences, but it ended up being a bit more of an unaddressed mutual forgiveness and regaining affection for their parents. Considering the strong premise, I was a bit disappointed by the trajectory of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

I was intrigued by the premise but it fell a little flat for me.

As someone who is the age of Bonnie, and has a sibling in the range of Kevin and Alex, I didn’t find them believable as adults in their 40s. They were very incurious about the world around them and while you may regress around family, they seemed very young and immature,

I think having the incident in their childhood happen when they were much younger (how did Bonnie at 15 not remember basically anything??) and have this road trip take place when they were in college. I did not believe any of these people were old enough to be married and have children of their own.

The book was pretty heavy handed about race and social issues in a way that made it read like it was a book for younger readers. It was very informative in a textbook sort of way.

The mother’s health didn’t make a ton of sense. What is a “small” stroke that requires surgery weeks later?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC. I have mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to spend more time with the family in 1991; the current day bickering grew so frustrating after awhile. Eventually I started skimming it. It also felt like the author tried to shoehorn a lot of things, especially that big scene toward the end.

This is the story of Bonnie, Kevin and Alex Chu, first generation Americans born to Taiwanese parents. When their mother has a mini stroke, her request is that the siblings take a road trip to California, with a detour to the Grand Canyon. There is also a back story of an attempted trip to the Grand Canyon when they were children.
I loved this book. It addressed themes of racism, helplessness, jealousy, loyalty and rivalry. The story flowed beautifully, and I could not wait to find out what happened next. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book made me reflect on the complexities of family relationships and how the past can shape the present. I connected with the Chu siblings right away, even though their dynamics were messy and strained. I felt their awkwardness and hesitation as they reunited after years apart, and I admired how the story didn’t shy away from showing their flaws. I loved the way the road trip to the Grand Canyon unfolded. I found myself completely drawn in by the tension and mystery surrounding the aborted trip from thirty years ago. As the siblings began to confront their childhood experience, I felt their emotions so vividly—frustration, sadness, and even moments of humor. It reminded me how shared family histories can be both painful and healing.

Overall, I thought this was a touching and thought-provoking read. The mix of humor, heartache, and family dynamics kept me engaged from start to finish. It’s a story that will stay with me, and I’m so glad I got to experience it.

The story of estranged siblings who must come together to honor their parents wishes and road trip home to see their mother after a stroke. There is tension between the younger two as well as personal struggles they are each experiencing. We find out that in thr back of everyone’s mind is also an incident that happened 30 years ago during an aborted trip to the Grand Canyon. They’ve never discussed this trip before. During their time on the road they discuss many things, including that long ago trip, as well as the struggles they are each having today.

This story does a good job of addressing the racism that Asian Americans experience - touching on things such as the fact that they are frequently told they all look alike (they don’t), and being accused of bringing the covid virus to this country. It also does a good job of developing 3D realistic characters. It also makes me want to drive Route 66!

I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley who provided this advance copy for reading.

Bonnie, Kevin, and Alex have drifted apart over the years and are brought back together on a trip requested by their mother, who uses her health concerns as ammunition. Their differing views have become contentious over the years, and the hours they must spend together will not be the easiest.

The story alternates between their road trip and a traumatic event that happened in their childhood that prevented them from seeing the Grand Canyon so many years ago.

The way that the relationships between immigrant parents and children and the microaggressions against Asians that are portrayed in this book are extremely relatable for me. The persistent negativity from Kevin and constant bickering did take a toll on me, but there was true development as the storyline developed.

The writing was good but not particularly memorable, and this was an enjoyable read overall.

Synopsis: Bonnie, Kevin, and Alex’s mother, seriously ill, makes a request before their impending visit home: she wants the siblings to visit the Grand Canyon and complete a journey the family had begun thirty years ago but abandoned for mysterious reasons. Despite their geographic (and to some extent, emotional) separation, the Chu siblings then embark on a road trip on Route 66, a path that will expose secrets and prejudices and cause each to reevaluate the meaning of family and heritage.

Review: Li rewrites the American road trip novel from the perspectives of three Americans with Taiwanese heritage. Read this book for the characters, who are likable, complex, and interesting. Their narratives are interspersed with flashbacks documenting the events of the first attempt to visit the Canyon. These passages provide glimpses of the family dynamics that shaped the Chus. They are also meant to create narrative tension, but I found the “secret” at the heart of the flashbacks unsurprising. WHAT WE LEFT UNSAID best suits readers who wish to document Americana via the interests and concerns of multiculturalism.

Winnie M. Li’s *What We Left Unsaid* is a powerful and engaging novel that mixes family drama with important social issues. It follows the Chu siblings—Bonnie, Kevin, and Alex—on a road trip to the Grand Canyon that their mother insists on before she passes away. This journey brings them back together after years apart and forces them to confront old childhood memories while exploring their Asian American identity in today’s world.

As they drive along Route 66, retracing a family trip from years ago, they dig into why their parents abruptly stopped that journey. The story deals with heavy topics like generational trauma and cultural expectations, all while highlighting the ups and downs of sibling relationships.

Li's writing flows effortlessly, blending personal experiences with larger social themes. The book can be serious but also has its funny and warm moments, keeping it hopeful. Fans of authors like Celeste Ng and Min Jin Lee will really enjoy *What We Left Unsaid*, which offers a deep look at identity and healing that lingers even after you finish reading.

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 this journey, the middle-aged Chu siblings have no choice but to confront their childhood experiences.

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.

Poignant, heartfelt, and beautifully written, this novel is more than just a road trip story—it’s a touching exploration of family, forgiveness, and the power of confronting the past. Highly recommended.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

They are **3 middle-aged Asians passing through a Midwest town ** (insert your culture/ethnicity, age, gender, religion). This will determine how you react to this book. The author's prose is fluid and engaging, including you in this family's journey
America's not the land of opportunity anymore.. becoming the land of oppression and bias.
A traveling confessional disguised as a road trip, with each changing landscape triggering trauma and mistakes made
It becomes cathartic in such closed quarters, forcing intimacy, secrets, and insecurities but also redemption in having to face adversity together. I will re-read this story again .. it is that good.

Winnie M Li’s The Great American Everything is a thoughtful, moving, and deeply layered family drama that blends road trip adventure, self-discovery, and unspoken trauma into a compelling narrative about what it means to be American.

The novel follows the Chu siblings —Bonnie, Kevin, and Alex—who haven’t been in the same room for years. When their mother, facing an upcoming operation, makes an unusual request for them to take a road trip to the Grand Canyon, they reluctantly agree. Decades earlier, an aborted family trip to the same destination left a lingering mystery, one they never discussed but can no longer avoid.

As they journey down Route 66, the siblings’ conflicts, cultural identity struggles, and old wounds resurface, forcing them to confront their individual and collective pasts. What begins as a simple road trip transforms into a powerful exploration of memory, race, family expectations, and the complexities of the immigrant experience in America. Li’s writing is unflinchingly honest, The novel questions what home truly means and how shared histories can shape and fracture familial bonds.

Highly recommended for those who love introspective literary fiction with strong themes of identity, belonging, and family reconciliation.

#TheGreatAmericanEverything #WinnieMLi #FamilyDrama #RoadTripNovel #LiteraryFiction #ComingofAge #ImmigrantNarrative #NetGalley #atriabooks