Joan Is Okay(56)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS





THE WRITING OF THIS book would not have been possible without enormous support along the way.

To both Sigrid and Xuefei for your unparalleled goodness. I really don’t know how else to thank you except to keep writing.

Linda, for her love and care, the decades of sisterhood, and for letting me tag along on quests for great food. Yuying, Xiaoli, and Briana for patiently answering my many, many questions about medicine, hospitals, and doctors and for their one question back, that this story wasn't going to be about them, was it? Caroline and Jamie for their insights and willingness to read the earliest of bad drafts, sent not even in a Word doc but in snippets of text. Thank you, Hooman and Eric, for showing me what attendings do and letting me come on rounds. Michel, for providing that rare combo of whiskey and legal advice.

To all the great friends made in school, at work, on the Great Hill of Central Park, through science, and through writing, thank you for the happy times, game nights, long walks, meals, letters, and messages that cheered me on. Also, to the students, neighbors, door people who have become friends, and are now, constantly, asking me about my next book, thanks for keeping me on schedule.

I have a great agent in Joy Harris, and could not have found a better advocate, sounding board, anchor. Many thanks to everyone in that agency, especially Adam Reed.

I have a great editor in Robin Desser. Thanks for the phone calls, the discussions, and, of course, the notes that made this book infinitely better than I could have. To Clio Seraphim for her astute eye, calming demeanor, and exceptional tech skills. But what I will miss most about our editorial process is sending both of you funny gifs. The entire Random House team, I’m floored by the warmth that you have shown this book and me.

To Michael, my heart. Thanks for reading every scene about seven and a half times and for listening to the long list of my concerns, many repetitive, and for reminding me that it will all be okay. Mr. Biscuit, thanks for being handsome and growing the world’s longest eyelashes. Finally, I’m indebted to my earliest family for the gift of a second language and home in Chinese. To my grandmother and late grandfather, I love and miss you. To my parents for being there from the very start and for showing me how to persevere with grit, to humor with wit.