Dreams of Joy

Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See

I was incredibly excited when I found out Lisa See wrote a sequel to her amazing book Shanghai Girls. Dreams of Joy continues the story of sisters Pearl and May who were forced to leave their home country of China in the mid-1930s, and start a new life in Los Angeles. Dreams of Joy is narrated by Pearl and her daughter, Joy. Joy is a 19 year old college student who upon finding out painful family secrets decides to run away to Shanghai. She is young and idealistic and yearns to explore her Chinese roots. Joy leaves for China in 1957 during the midst of Mao's Great Leap Forward. Joy does not understand the dangers ahead of her, and fearing for her daughter's safety, Pearl follows Joy to Shanghai. While in China, Joy and Pearl both learn valuable lessons about love, patriotism, and freedom. I especially enjoy See's novels because they are great works of historical fiction. I feel like I learned a great deal about the communes of China, the famine that took many Chinese lives, and the challenges of assimilating into a different culture. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Shanghai Girls. Also, be sure to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan also by Lisa See, before watching the film adaptation.] -- recommended by Alyse S. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in book-on-cd and Large Print formats.]

[ official Dreams of Joy page on the official Lisa See web site ]

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