Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang

Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Joan is a successful ICU doctor, a first-generation Chinese American, a daughter and sister, a workaholic, and a happily single woman in her thirties. How are these different parts of her identity in harmony with each other? How are they dissonant?
2. Joan is Okay takes place in 2019, in the months leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic. How does this timing influence the events of this novel? How would the book be different if set well before, during, or after Covid-19?
3. As Joan recalls memories from her childhood and her relationship with her parents, she notes that, "Berating is love, and here I was at 36, still being loved." Discuss the family dynamics at the core of this novel. How do Joan, Fang, and their mother show each other love? What do they withhold or hide from one another? How does this dynamic change after Joan's father dies, and by the time they are all in Greenwich together?
4. Joan thinks a lot about being Chinese-American outside of China. At one point she says she doesn't consider herself too Chinese, and rarely goes to China to visit. In another instance, Joan reflexively apologizes to a nurse for speaking Chinese. Yet she also doesn't feel that the phrase "Proud to be an American" really applies to her. Discuss how Joan grapples with her Chinese heritage and identity. What is important for readers to see within her internalized struggle?
5. Joan is Okay is filled with sharp, satirical humor. What scenes or moments made you laugh? What does humor add to the overall effect of the story?
6. Joan is a woman in a male-dominated workplace. How does that manifest through her relationship with Reese? How does she navigate this? How is she treated differently from her male peers? What did you think of the portrayal of Human Resources and corporate "wellness" initiatives?
7. "History repeats itself," Wang writes. "Asians are often pitted against other Asians, and even citizenship can't always save you." How did this novel make you reflect on the treatment of Asian Americans in the United States, particularly in the wake of the coronavirus? How does this tie into Joan's memory of the father and daughter buying the lottery ticket at the end of the novel?
8. Wang writes, "The price of success is steep and I've never been able to distinguish it from the feeling of sacrifice." Why do you think Joan equates success and sacrifice? Do you feel similarly? Why or why not? What does success look like for the different characters in this novel?
9. Joan is Okay depicts two different perspectives on the immigrant experience: Joan's and her brother's. Discuss how Joan and Fang each feel about being immigrants. Why do you think they react differently? How do they feel about each other's paths? How does being an immigrant impact their life choices?
10. At the end of the book, Wang writes, "Home could be many things. It could be both a comfort and a pain. It could exile you for a little while but then demand that you return." Where does home truly lie for Joan? What does home mean to you?
11. Though Joan's father is a passive character in the book, he is still very much a significant player. Discuss the influence Joan's father has on her character. To what extent is Joan changed (or not changed) by the grief she feels after her father dies?
12. How does Joan is Okay compare to the "classic" immigrant novel? Explain the role class plays in the story. What themes and expectations does this novel affirm and/or upset?
13. Discuss the characters: Joan, our protagonist, is very unique and striking, but so are many of the secondary and tertiary figures. How is Joan's relationship to her father different from her relationship with her mother? How do Joan and her brother Fang compare?
14. What did you think about Joan's relationship with her neighbors, particularly Mark? At first, he seems to be a foil for Joan, but he's also one of the many forces in her life insisting her lifestyle is unsatisfactory. Why does Joan let him force his way into her life? What does it mean to have your sensibilities questioned in your own home?
15. Reading is often about finding empathy for others. Discuss the empathy you had (or didn't have) for the characters in . What did you take away from reading this novel?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Random House. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.