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Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part I
  6. 3
  7. The History of My Beef with Brynn Foer-Preston
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part I
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part I
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part II
  20. 13
  21. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part II
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. The Complicated History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Imaginary Relationship with Her Nonexistent Dad
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part III
  33. 23
  34. 24
  35. 25
  36. A Brief, Backward History of the McAllister Family, as Paraphrased from the San Jose Mercury News
  37. 26
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. A Quick and Eerily Relevant History of Asians in America
  41. 29
  42. 30
  43. 31
  44. 32
  45. 33
  46. 34
  47. 35
  48. 36
  49. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part IV
  50. 37
  51. 38
  52. 39
  53. 40
  54. 41
  55. 42
  56. 43
  57. 44
  58. A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part II (Or Maybe It’s a Prequel)
  59. 45
  60. 46
  61. 47
  62. 48
  63. 49
  64. 50
  65. 51
  66. 52
  67. 53
  68. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part III
  69. 54
  70. A Note from the Author
  71. Index of Flowers and their Meanings
  72. Acknowledgments
  73. About the Author
  74. Praise for This Time Will Be Different
  75. Books by Misa Sugiura
  76. Back Ad
  77. About the Publisher

Years ago, a family friend created a beautiful ikebana arrangement for my wedding and explained to me the symbolism of each different component: long life, good luck, high aspirations. That symbolism stuck with me, and I was excited to use it in This Time Will Be Different. But as I wrote, I realized that I wanted to show that the Katsuyamas—an American family—had broader cultural influences than just Japan. Because of this, CJ’s system of flower magic, like her family and like our country, is influenced by traditions and interpretations from around the world. No two books or websites list the same meanings for all the plants, and there’s lots of room for interpretation, so if you don’t like the meaning listed here for your favorite flower, don’t despair. Just find a meaning that you do like!

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allspice compassion
almond branch hope
aloe grief, solace
aster reciprocity
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bay leaves victory
black-eyed Susan justice
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carnation, yellow denial, disdain
cedar strength
chamomile patience, humility
chrysanthemum, red vitality, longevity
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eucalyptus purity, health
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fennel worthiness
flax fate
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hawthorn hope
heather, white good luck
holly purity, enchantment, magic
hydrangea pride, frigidity
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iris noble heart, eloquence
ivy friendship, fidelity
jade plant prosperity, luck
jasmine eloquence
juniper resilience, hope in adversity
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larkspur infidelity
lichen, lace bond between mother and child
lilac early love; memory
lilac, primrose confidence
lily, calla sophisticated beauty; the national flower of Ethiopia
lily, Chinese fertility
lily, tiger prosperity, passion, pride
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oak moss healing
orange branches sweetness
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palm leaf fame
pansy think of me
peony, pink romance
peony, red nobility, good fortune, fertility
pepper berry healing, protection
pine, pine cone long life, hope in adversity
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rose leaf hope
rose, pink friendship
rose, purple enchantment
rose, red love
rose, white self-worth
rosebud, pink new love, friendship
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sage health, long life
southernwood wit, charm
star-of-Bethlehem reconciliation
stonecrop perseverance
sunflower false pride
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violet, blue love, fidelity
violet, white take a chance on love
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water lily purity

Acknowledgments

This book was a monster to write. Second-book syndrome hit me hard, and I had to fight my way through writer’s block almost every time I sat down to write. I would never have made it through without a host of wonderful people. A thousand thanks go out to the following:

My incredible agent, Leigh Feldman, gently steered me away from a couple of initial not-so-great ideas, assured me that the most important thing was to write a book that I loved (thus freeing me from the pressure of producing a manuscript RIGHT NOW), shepherded me through a maze of publishing industry detours, and generally had my back throughout the entire process.