Everything We Never Had

Everything We Never Had is a young adult novel told from the perspective of four generations of Filipino American men in the Maghabol family; each perspective takes place during a distinct time period and setting. The story begins in 1929 with Francisco, an immigrant from the Philippines who seeks opportunity in America and becomes a celebrated activist and labor organizer as a response to the racism and injustice he experiences. We then meet Francisco’s son, Emil, who doesn’t understand his father’s passion and feels abandoned by his father’s absence. Emil dedicates himself to working hard and creating a stable future for his own son, Chris. As a young man, Chris struggles with Emil’s desire to control and limit his life choices, and ultimately finds his own path as a history teacher dedicated to raising his son, Enzo, with unconditional love. Enzo develops into a sensitive and anxious teenager coping with the isolation and grief of the coronavirus pandemic and seeking to heal the intergenerational conflicts he sees. Through their alternating perspectives, we learn of their experiences—from the 1930s Watsonville race riots to the 2020 COVID quarantine. The novel explores larger questions about ancestry, intergenerational patterns, and healing.