A running occurrence in this book involves secrets and lies that, although well intentioned, cause fault lines between family members. Where in the book do you see that trying to manufacture a perfect life leads to deep rifts between parent and child?
This book is filled with secrets that each generation kept from one another. May tried to create a perfect world for Lily and never told her about what she did.
It was devastating to Lily, It caused a rift in their relationship.
Lily in turn tried to keep Nick from knowing who his real father was and did the same to her son.
Two many secrets.
Two distinct events that come to mind - 1. Lily searches her mother’s office and discovers the evidence about the DNA meddling. She takes Nick and leaves Matthew and “divorces” herself from her parents; 2. Nike learns about this father through DNA testing. He begins to question his mom’s motives, which eventually leads to his lies and secrecy.
Lies definitely repeated itself in this story showing fortune and fate aren’t the only predictors in our life stories, our human culpability for fear and control also can choose our paths. Nick and Lily made choices based on their parent’s actions. Unfortunately they repeated the same behavior with their son Nick. The perfect life needs balance and truth, maybe in a small way Nick figures this out and tries to intercede but what a painful journey his family put themselves through.
The relationship between Matthew and his father Otto, comes to mind. Money, prestige and a lifestyle most of us would never understand didn’t matter in the end. What a surprise.
The secrets and lies between both sets of parents and the children and grandchild about how they were actually created. The problems Lily had conceiving a child were a direct result of the scientific child designing the parents did and the inability for Lily to forgive them for her life.
May’s interference with Lily’s DNA. Other lies that led to rifts were Lily not telling Nick the truth about his father and grandparents and Nick not telling his mother about his relationship with his father.
So many!!! The worst for me was Nick finding and having a relationship with his father and not telling his mother. Wow! How was Lily so blind? Or was Nick great at secrets?
Many lies among several characters. However I believe the two most unforgivable lies were May’s interfering with Lily’s DNA and Lily not sharing with Nick his father’s name. She robbed him of knowing a good man. As for May, I question her right to change her daughter’s DNA.