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Chen “Waigong”

Grandfather of the protagonist, this character is impaired in the novel’s present but is aggressive towards the protagonist’s parents in the remembered past. His impairment suggests insufficiency of older attitudes.

Chen Yuanyang “Waipo”

Grandmother of the protagonist, this character is her primary contact during her overseas travel. It is largely through association with her that the protagonist is able to access information about her family history and the culture from which her maternal family emerges.

Dorothy “Dory” Chen Sanders

Mother of the protagonist, this character’s suicide is the driving force of the novel. A Taiwanese expatriate musician, her decisions create the situation of the novel as well as the inciting incident.

Feng

Introduced as a friend of the protagonist’s grandparents, this character serves as a guide to the protagonist during her overseas travel. Her identity is in question until near the end of...

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