Waiting by Ha Jin

Wage 18 years to get a divorce so he could marry his longtime friend a nurse. The plo revolves around three characters the Army doctor, his wife, and the nurse. Beginning in 1963 and stretching over a 20 year period, waiting is set against the background of a changing Chinese society. The contrast city and country life and shows the restrictions on individual freedoms that are part of life under communism. But waiting is primarily a novel of character. It presents a portrait of a decent but deeply flawed man whose life is spoiled by his inability to experience strong emotions and love wholeheartedly