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walaalamageeddow 's review for:

Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang
3.5
emotional funny reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Jiù (就), fourth tone, twelve strokes, means “at once” or “right away” or “moving toward.” Ān (安), first tone, six strokes, is “peace,” or, taken apart, it’s a roof (宀) under which there is a woman (女). What this woman does, no one really knows. She might be happy or sad. She might be hardworking or indolent, but put this woman in a house and you will have serenity and ease. Jiu-an (就安), or just peace or simply a woman in a house.

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That should she manage to leave now, we might not be able to see her for several years, with more travel restrictions being put into place. There was a long pause and I thought I’d lost her. Mom? Mom? I said and she tsked and told me to calm down. Come up and see me before October then, she said. But not every weekend, please. We’ve already spent a good amount of time together, so we also don’t want to overdo.