Chapter 27 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens the morning after the events at school. The narrator wakes early and finds Mom working in bed, noticing that she has shifted from the right side of the bed—where she slept in Hong Kong and during their first weeks in California—to the middle. The narrator crawls in beside her, and the memory of the Hungry Ghost Festival in Hong Kong surfaces: the seventh month of the lunar calendar, when people burn fake money and offerings for their ancestors. The narrator asks if they will burn incense in September, but Mom is amused by the question.

The narrator then asks directly why Mom told the school secretary about a possible ADHD diagnosis. Mom deflects, saying it is “nothing” and that the narrator might not even have it, but the narrator presses for clarity. Mom explains that the narrator is “right on the edge,” which only raises more questions. The narrator wriggles away from Mom’s attempt at comfort. Mom tries to distract the narrator by recording a voice message to the grandparents (lao lao and lao ye) on WeChat, and the narrator drifts asleep to the sound of her Chinese.

When the narrator wakes, Bowen is eating cereal in the kitchen. The narrator packs a school bag, removing several focus toys now that the classroom has them, which leaves room for a soccer ball. Bowen teases the narrator about needing “baby toys” for hand muscles, and the narrator wonders if their parents told Bowen that story to protect the narrator from mockery.

Mom enters with news: there are now sixty thousand coronavirus cases worldwide, including the first case in London, and the virus is being called COVID-19. She packs hand sanitizer into each backpack, but Bowen refuses, worried that pulling it out at school will make other kids think he has the virus. Mom insists it is a health and safety matter, but Bowen tosses the bottle on the table. Mom sighs, and Bowen turns the conversation to her job search. Mom admits she has sent out résumés with no responses, despite her extensive experience in Asia. Lea suggests a LinkedIn makeover, and Mom reluctantly agrees. The narrator secretly sneaks the hand sanitizer into Bowen’s backpack before they leave.

In the car, the kids ask what kinds of jobs Mom is applying for. She says she is applying across finance, tech, and biotech, and that she wants flexible hours so she does not have to travel constantly like at her last job. Lea confesses that she once secretly recorded Mom saying good night so she could play it back while Mom was on the road. Mom apologizes, explaining that long hours were part of her banking job in Hong Kong, and promises she is home for good now. The narrator is skeptical, noting that Mom has been too busy searching for work to be the “Summer Mom” they hoped for. Bowen offers to watch the younger siblings if Mom needs to travel, but Mom declines, saying she wants to spend more time with them.

Mom then announces that she made calls and secured soccer tryouts for the narrator in March. The narrator is thrilled, but Mom warns that the family has no health insurance until she finds a job. The narrator asks about Dad’s insurance, and Mom explains that it does not cover them in the United States. She describes how most Americans get insurance through employers because it is too expensive to buy privately, and that unlike Hong Kong, there is no universal healthcare. When the narrator asks what happens to people without jobs who get sick, Mom is silent for a long moment. The narrator promises not to head the ball or do anything dangerous.

Bowen asks about track, and Mom says she contacted his school’s coach, who invited him to practice in a couple of weeks. Bowen smiles—the truest smile the narrator has seen since they landed. Lea asks about art, and Mom says she put Lea on the waiting list for a workshop at the Lawrence Hall of Science at Berkeley. Lea grins and tells the narrator that things are getting better.

As Mom drops the kids at school, she reminds Lea that if no one wants to play with her, she can go to the library—something Mom did as a child. Lea points out that Mom said she had a best friend, and Mom admits she only told them about the good years. The narrator is left wondering what happened in the bad years.

Key Events

The narrator notices Mom has moved to the middle of the bed, a subtle sign of her settling into their new life.
The narrator asks about the ADHD comment Mom made to the school secretary; Mom deflects and does not give a clear answer.
Mom records a WeChat voice message to the grandparents, and the narrator falls asleep listening.
Bowen teases the narrator about focus toys, and the narrator suspects their parents gave Bowen a cover story.
Mom reports the rising COVID-19 case count and packs hand sanitizer; Bowen refuses, fearing social stigma.
The narrator secretly puts hand sanitizer in Bowen’s backpack.
Mom reveals her job search is going poorly, with no responses to her résumés.
Lea suggests a LinkedIn makeover, and Mom agrees.
Lea confesses she recorded Mom’s good-night message; Mom apologizes and says she is home for good.
Bowen offers to watch the siblings, but Mom declines.
Mom announces soccer tryouts for the narrator, track practice for Bowen, and an art workshop waitlist for Lea.
Mom explains the US healthcare system and the family’s lack of insurance.
Mom admits she only told her kids about the good years of her childhood.

Character Development

The narrator continues to process the family’s upheaval through small observations. The narrator’s worry about Mom’s position in the bed shows a sensitivity to change, while the direct question about ADHD reveals a growing need for honesty. The narrator’s internal skepticism about Mom’s promise to be home “for good” shows a child who is learning to measure words against actions. The secret act of putting hand sanitizer in Bowen’s backpack demonstrates quiet care for a sibling who is outwardly dismissive.

Mom is stretched thin between job hunting, managing her children’s anxieties, and confronting her own past. Her deflection about ADHD and her silence about the bad years of her childhood suggest she is protecting her children from painful truths, but also that she is not fully ready to share her own struggles. Her apology to Lea is a rare moment of vulnerability, and her promise to stay home signals a shift in priorities.

Bowen shows a crack in his tough exterior. His refusal of hand sanitizer is rooted in fear of being singled out, and his question about Mom’s job search reveals he is paying attention to the family’s financial strain. His genuine smile at the track news is the first the narrator has seen since they arrived, suggesting that extracurricular hope may be a path back to his old self.

Lea emerges as a problem-solver. Her suggestion to overhaul Mom’s LinkedIn is practical and optimistic, and her confession about recording Mom’s good-night message shows both her longing for connection and her willingness to be vulnerable. Her reassurance to the narrator that “things are getting better” reflects her role as the family’s emotional stabilizer.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

ADHD awareness and social stigma. The narrator’s questions about ADHD are met with evasion, and Bowen’s fear of being seen with hand sanitizer shows how stigma shapes behavior. The focus toys, which Bowen dismisses as “baby toys,” are a tangible symbol of the narrator’s hidden needs and the family’s attempts to manage them quietly.

Cultural traditions and memory. The Hungry Ghost Festival memory connects the narrator to Hong Kong and to a sense of ritual that is absent in their new life. The question about burning incense in September is a small attempt to hold onto tradition, even as the family adapts to a new country.

COVID-19 and health precautions. The rising case count and the hand sanitizer conflict introduce the pandemic as a real threat. Bowen’s refusal is not just about hygiene but about the social cost of being seen as different—a theme that echoes the family’s broader immigrant experience.

Job search struggles and career reinvention. Mom’s lack of responses despite her impressive résumé highlights the difficulty of transferring professional success across borders. Lea’s LinkedIn makeover is a symbol of adaptation, an attempt to repackage Mom’s identity for a new market.

Health insurance insecurity. Mom’s explanation of the US healthcare system is a stark lesson in financial precarity. The narrator’s promise not to head the ball is a child’s attempt to control a risk that is fundamentally out of their hands.

Selective storytelling. Mom’s admission that she only told her children about the good years of her childhood introduces a motif of curated memory. It raises questions about what parents hide and why, and it foreshadows deeper revelations about Mom’s past.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 27 is a turning point in the family’s adjustment to California. It brings the COVID-19 pandemic into the story as a concrete threat, not just background news, and it forces the family to confront the reality of their financial and medical vulnerability. The chapter also deepens the narrator’s relationship with Mom, as the ADHD question goes unanswered and the promise to stay home is met with skepticism.

The extracurricular announcements—soccer, track, and art—offer a glimmer of hope and a sense of normalcy. Bowen’s smile is a small but significant victory, suggesting that the family may be finding footholds in their new life. At the same time, Mom’s admission about her childhood hints at untold stories, setting up future revelations about her past and the sacrifices she has made.

This chapter matters because it balances hope and anxiety, showing a family that is surviving but not yet thriving. It also establishes the narrator’s voice as one that notices the gaps between what adults say and what they mean, a perspective that will be central to the rest of the book.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does the narrator notice that Mom has moved to the middle of the bed, and what does this detail suggest?

The narrator notices that Mom has moved from the right side of the bed to the middle, a change from her sleeping position in Hong Kong and during their first weeks in California. This detail suggests that Mom is becoming more settled in their new home, but it also worries the narrator, who is sensitive to any sign of change. The narrator’s observation reflects a broader anxiety about how much the family has already changed and what might change next.

2. How does Bowen’s refusal to use hand sanitizer reveal his concerns about fitting in at school?

Bowen refuses the hand sanitizer because he fears that pulling it out at school will make other kids think he has the virus. His reaction shows that he is deeply worried about being singled out or stigmatized, which connects to his broader discomfort with their new school and his identity as a newcomer. The narrator’s decision to sneak the sanitizer into his backpack shows an understanding of Bowen’s fear while still prioritizing his safety.

3. What does Mom’s admission that she only told her children about the good years of her childhood suggest about her character?

Mom’s admission suggests that she has been selectively sharing her past to protect her children from painful memories. It also implies that she is used to managing difficult truths on her own, which connects to her deflection about the narrator’s ADHD and her silence about the family’s financial struggles. The admission leaves the narrator—and the reader—wondering what happened in the bad years, setting up potential revelations about Mom’s history and the sacrifices she has made.