Everything We Never Had BY Randy Ribay

Everything We Never Had by the author of Patron Saints of Nothing intricately explores the lives of four generations of Filipino American men, each wrestling with identity, masculinity, and strained father-son relationships.

In 1930s Watsonville, Francisco Maghabol toils in California's fields, facing violence and isolation while yearning for his homeland. His struggle is mirrored in his son Emil's life in 1965 Stockton. Emil, confronting prejudice and working long hours, vows to escape his father’s shadow and succeed on his own terms, even at the cost of severing ties with his roots.

By 1983 in Denver, Chris, Emil’s son, rebels against his controlling father, turning his frustration into a quest for understanding his heritage. An assignment on "ancestral history" ignites his passion for Filipino culture, clashing with his father's views on what is deemed "American" and valuable.

In 2020 Philadelphia, Enzo, Chris's grandson, grapples with anxiety amid a global pandemic and family discord. As his grandfather Emil's abrasive presence creates friction with his own father, Enzo finds solace in daily walks with Lolo Emil. These moments become a bridge to understanding and healing long-standing familial rifts.

Told through shifting perspectives, Everything We Never Had unfolds like a richly layered nesting doll, revealing how each generation’s struggles and values interweave. As Enzo seeks to reconcile the past and present, he faces the challenge of integrating his family’s complex legacy into his own future.