The Fourth Daughter

Liv Kuo is the novel’s contemporary protagonist, and her journey of healing from personal trauma is a parallel exploration with her grandmother’s. The narrative opens with Liv trapped in her Manhattan apartment by severe PTSD from a violent shooting at her restaurant. This physical confinement symbolizes her emotional and psychological immobilization; she is disconnected from her career, her friends, and her family heritage, living as a “frightened and hollow shell of her former self” (12). Her professional identity as a sous-chef is built on a foundation of assimilation; she initially dismisses traditional Taiwanese food as too “simple” for her culinary ambitions, a perspective that mirrors her emotional distance from her cultural roots.

Ah-Ma's plea for help is the catalyst that pushes Liv into action. The quest forces her to leave the “prison” of her apartment and embark on a journey to Taiwan. This journey becomes central to the theme of Reckoning With the Past to Reclaim Identity. By immersing herself in her grandmother's search for Yili, Liv confronts her family's buried history under martial law and is forced to re-evaluate her own identity. In helping Ah-Ma piece together the past, Liv begins to mend the fractured parts of herself.

Liv’s reconnection with her heritage through food is a cornerstone of her healing process. In Taiwan, she rediscovers the flavors of her childhood and, with them, a part of herself she had long suppressed. This culinary reawakening is spurred by Chef Wu’s advice to find her voice by connecting with her culture rather than imitating Western fine dining. By filming her grandmother's cooking and creating a cookbook that blends Ah-Ma's traditional knowledge with her own techniques, Liv bridges her identities, embodying the theme of food as a bridge to cultural and personal healing. In addition, her relationship with Simon provides a safe space to be vulnerable and begin trusting again. His presence offers what she needs most: someone who neither demands she "get over it" nor treats her as permanently broken but instead supports her.

Ziyi Lim is a pivotal supporting character who functions as a symbol of female resilience. She is brave, resourceful, and fiercely loyal, risking her own safety to help Yi-ping search for Yili and escape to America. Beneath her strong exterior, Ziyi harbors a dark secret: She is a survivor of severe physical and emotional abuse from her husband. His control over her is a microcosm of the authoritarian state's control over its citizens. She endures his violence to protect her children, a choice mirroring Yi-ping's own sacrifices.

However, Ziyi's story diverges in its violent conclusion. After her husband beats their daughter, Ziyi, with help from her housekeeper Ah-Ji, poisons him. This act is portrayed not as revenge but as a desperate measure of protection and survival when the system offers none. Her journey from secret victim to liberator of herself reveals the lengths to which women must go to reclaim autonomy.

Ang-Li Huang is introduced posthumously through his journal, a critical narrative device that provides a counter-narrative to the Wang family's history. His funeral is the event that brings the Huang family to Taiwan and the reason Simon, Ang-Li’s late grandson Ken's best friend, is present; it is a convergence that enables the novel's central revelations.

As a young man, he is a kind and loving friend to his future wife, Jin, and their friend, Wang Po-wei. His love for Jin is unrequited, yet he marries her after Po-wei breaks her heart, accepting the role of a devoted husband and, unknowingly, as a stepfather to Clare, who is revealed to be Po-wei's biological daughter. His gentle nature contrasts with Po-wei's cruelty.

Ang-Li’s journal reveals the depth of his personal tragedy. He is caught between his love for his wife and the political machinations of the KMT. After Jin is unjustly arrested and executed due to Po-wei’s actions, Ang-Li’s primary motivation becomes the protection of his children, including the adopted Yili and Clare, who is not his biological daughter. His decision to flee Taiwan and change the family name from Ong to Huang is an act of survival. However, his choice to keep the truth hidden, particularly from Sue (Yili) and his other children, perpetuates the cycle of silence at the heart of the family's trauma. His journal is his final act of confession and reckoning, allowing the next generation to piece the truth together and begin to heal.

Wang Po-wei is the novel’s static antagonist, a man whose actions are driven by patriarchal power. He embodies the oppressive forces, both familial and political, that the other characters must overcome. His worldview is shaped by the belief that his fourth daughter is a “curse,” and this cultural belief justifies the cruel act of giving away his own child. He values a male heir above all else, seeing his daughters as secondary and, in Yili's case, disposable.

Po-wei’s cruelty extends beyond his family. He uses his position as a high-level official in the KMT to eliminate those he perceives as threats or inconveniences. As revealed in Ang-Li’s journal, Po-wei is responsible for the arrest and eventual execution of Jin, his former lover. He wields his power ruthlessly, showing no remorse for the lives he destroys. His character represents the unchecked authority and moral corruption of the martial law era in Taiwan, where personal whims and superstitions could have deadly consequences. He remains an unrepentant figure whose actions create the foundational trauma that reverberates through generations.

Sue Huang, born Yili Wang, is the titular fourth daughter and functions primarily as a symbol in the narrative. Her character development is not the focus; rather, her absence and the search for her drive the plot and the emotional journeys of other characters. Her existence as the fourth daughter, deemed a curse by her father, makes her the living embodiment of the novel's central secrets.

The quest to find Yili becomes a metaphor for reckoning with the past to reclaim identity. For Yi-ping, finding her daughter is an act of reclaiming her motherhood and validating a lifetime of grief. For Liv, the search provides a path to her own healing and a reconnection with her cultural heritage. When Sue is finally found, she is a well-adjusted woman who, despite knowing she was adopted, is unaware of the traumatic circumstances of her birth. Her peaceful reunion with Yi-ping provides the novel’s emotional resolution, demonstrating that healing and reconciliation are possible once hidden truths are brought to light.

Clare Shih acts as the gatekeeper of the Huang family’s secrets and the eventual bridge between the two families. Initially, she is hostile and unwelcoming to Liv, an attitude rooted in her hatred for Wang Po-wei, her biological father, and the man she knows is responsible for her mother’s execution. Her life is defined by this unresolved trauma. The revelation that Po-wei is her biological father places her at the painful intersection of both families’ histories. Once she learns the truth of Yi-ping’s story, that Yili was stolen from her, Clare’s anger transforms into empathy. She facilitates the reunion between mother and daughter, recognizing that confronting the past, however painful, is the only path to healing for everyone involved.