Chapter 23: Ann – Art, Motherhood, and an Uneasy Reunion

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Ann sits in her backyard drawing spot, frustrated by her inability to create art she values. She recalls a phone call with Noah about their future and their differing visions for raising Kumquat. Her mother, Hương, returns from work early and tries to encourage Ann by handing her a sandwich and smoothing out one of Ann’s failed sketches of Bà Ngoại. Ann admits she no longer enjoys illustrating. Hương suggests she find a new project. After showering and running an errand, Ann visits a craft store, where she unexpectedly runs into Crystal, her former best friend from high school. The two have a tense but honest conversation over coffee. Crystal reveals she has celiac disease, is married to P. J. Peterson, and has a daughter. When Ann mentions Bà Ngoại’s death, Crystal refuses to offer the polite dirge Ann expects, saying, “If you’re looking for a dirge for Minh, you’re not getting it from me.” Furious, Ann leaves abruptly.

Key Events

Ann sits outside unable to draw; her sketchbook is filled with crumpled attempts.
She reflects on a phone call with Noah, where their disconnect deepens.
Hương arrives home early and tries to comfort Ann, smoothing out a sketch of Bà Ngoại.
Ann admits she has lost passion for art and feels like a “Sad Single Mother.”
Hương encourages her to find a new project and go into town.
Ann goes to a craft store, buys gouache, and avoids Wes by hiding in an alley.
Crystal King approaches Ann in the store; they go for coffee.
Crystal shares her life: her celiac diagnosis, her husband P. J., and her daughter.
Ann tells Crystal about her pregnancy and Bà Ngoại’s death.
Crystal refuses to speak well of Minh, shocking Ann.
Ann storms out of the bakery, unwilling to hear Crystal’s perspective.

Character Development

Ann is mired in creative block and emotional drift. Her conversation with Noah reveals a fractured partnership; her fantasy of driving away alone with Kumquat shows both desire for freedom and fear of loneliness. Admitting she no longer likes illustrating marks a low point. Her anger at Crystal’s refusal to eulogize Minh indicates Ann is still idealizing her grandmother and avoiding uncomfortable truths.

Hương (Mom) offers practical care—food, company, gentle advice—but her serene tone grates on Ann. She reveals a hidden skill (drawing) and insists Ann needs “perspective.” Her line about Ann being “fatalistic” ties back to the theme of perfectionism.

Crystal appears as a foil to Ann. She has moved on from high school, married an “opposite,” and built a stable if imperfect life. Her blunt refusal to romanticize Minh hints that the grandmother may have done something harmful. Crystal’s illness (celiac) adds vulnerability beneath her tough exterior.

Noah remains offstage but his phone call underscores the growing chasm between him and Ann. He represents conventional domesticity (Stokke high chairs, Lake Michigan vacations) that Ann resists.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Art as self-expression and failure: Gouache (“watercolor’s sturdier cousin”) symbolizes Ann’s desire for opacity and control. Her struggle to draw Bà Ngoại reflects her inability to grasp the grandmother’s true nature.
Motherhood and identity: Ann’s “Sad Single Mother Portrait” is a self-deprecating label. Hương counters that there is “nothing deficient” about single motherhood, challenging Ann’s shame.
The past’s hold: Ann avoids Wes and is defensive about Minh. Crystal’s refusal to honor Minh suggests that Ann’s version of her grandmother is incomplete.
Freedom versus loneliness: Ann imagines a solitary cross-country van trip with her baby, yet fears the empty campfire nights.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Ann’s internal conflict and sets up a crucial revelation: Crystal’s animosity toward Minh suggests the grandmother is not the saint Ann remembers. The failed drawing of Bà Ngoại—and Ann’s choice of nearly black paint—foreshadows a hidden side of the family matriarch. Ann’s rejection of Crystal’s story delays the truth, making later discoveries more impactful. The chapter also reinforces Ann’s isolation from Noah, from her art, and from her own peace.

Study Questions

Why does Ann react so angrily when Crystal refuses to speak well of Minh?
Answer: Ann has placed her grandmother on a pedestal. She needs to believe Minh was wholly good, especially after her death, to justify her own grief and the way she centered her life around Bà Ngoại. Crystal’s refusal threatens that idealization, which Ann cannot yet tolerate.
What does the contrast between Ann’s and Crystal’s life choices reveal about the theme of maturity?
Answer: Crystal has accepted imperfection—she married someone she once would have dismissed, manages a chronic illness, and balances parenting with her identity. Ann, by contrast, resists compromise with Noah, avoids old friends, and clings to a romanticized past. The chapter suggests that growing up involves reconciling with unease.
How does Ann’s purchase of a deep brown (nearly black) tube of gouache symbolize her emotional state?
Answer: She associates the color with Bà Ngoại’s “impenetrable” eyes and “well of secrets.” Choosing it indicates her desire to capture her grandmother’s hidden depths, but also her own descent into darkness and opacity. Unlike watercolor’s transparency, gouache’s opacity mirrors Ann’s refusal to see clearly.