The Orphanage by the Lake

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of rape, sexual abuse, and pedophilia.

Hazel Cho is the protagonist of The Orphanage by the Lake. She is a Korean American private investigator who lives in New York City. Hazel is a complex character who acts bravely despite her fears and insecurities. She is largely motivated by a traumatic experience in her past which caused her to break from her family’s expectations for her life.

When she was a student in law school, she was drugged at a bar and raped. She found herself isolated from her friends, her family, and her fellow students following this traumatic event, because they blamed her for what happened and didn’t understand her hurt and trauma. The only person who helped and supported her during this difficult time was Perry Johnson, a Black private investigator who pursued justice on her behalf. Hazel was inspired by Perry, stating, “I saw what someone with smarts and perseverance who wasn’t part of the system could do, and I thought I might help someone in the way Perry helped me” (231). Perry’s example drives Hazel to become a private investigator and pursue justice for those who have been hurt like she was, despite her mother’s disapproval of her chosen career path.