He was raised in a rural farm town in Iowa, where his father worked on the grounds of a boarding school. James Lee is a first-generation Chinese American. Following Lydia's death, Nath grows angry and emotional towards James and Jack, the two other male characters in the story. When Nath is accepted to Harvard University, his father's alma mater, he realizes that it is his opportunity to escape his complicated life at home. Nath strongly clashes with his father, as James is resentful that his son is not a popular alpha-male. Although Nath never quite fit in at school, he prides himself on his academic success and nurtures his keen interest in space exploration. Nath is aware of Lydia's insecurities and of the pressure she feels from her parents. However, after realizing the magnitude of his action, Nath saves his sister and simultaneously vows to comfort and support her. This frustration culminated in Nath pushing Lydia, who does not know how to swim, into the local lake. During his childhood, Nath was resentful of the attention his parents gave to Lydia. After her romantic pursuit is rejected by Jack, Lydia is pushed to the edge and ultimately decides to end her life.
When Nath begins preparing to leave home and begin school at Harvard, Lydia experiences a deep sense of abandonment. This causes tension between Lydia and her older brother, Nath, whom she deeply admires. She starts smoking cigarettes with the school's archetypal bad boy, Jack Wolff. Unhappy with her circumstances, Lydia begins to engage in rebellious behavior. James, ashamed of his Asian race and consistently made to feel like an outcast, pressures Lydia to have a vibrant social life. Although Lydia shows little genuine interest in her studies, Marilyn projects her academic hopes onto her daughter. The rest of the story, told in flashbacks, explains the mounting pressures that caused Lydia to eventually commit suicide. Though the circumstances for her death are not yet revealed, this moment is the catalyst for the realization of the Lee family's deep-seated familial tension. At the beginning of the novel, the audience discovers that Lydia has drowned in the town's lake.
She is repeatedly referred to as the "favorite child," mostly due to her fair complexion. Lydia Lee is the middle child born to Marilyn and James Lee.
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