Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See is the follow up to Shanghai Girls where sisters May and Pearl had fled from a war-torn China to find refuge in America. Together they raised a daughter, Joy. By the end of the novel Joy was a young university student. Here she learned about the communist movement beginning in China and the great changes it promised for its citizens. She became a political advocate and supporter of communism despite her parent's warnings. One day, Joy, over heard a conversation that exposed her family's dark secrets. Devastated by this revelation of lies about her own past she ran away to Shanghai to find her her biological father.

This is where Dreams of Joy begins. Pearl empties her life savings to chase after her daughter. Even though being back in Shanghai after so many years brings back painful memories, Pearl presses on to find her daughter. She is able to find Joy rather quickly, however, Joy has no desire to go back to America. She has visited the country side and fell in love with a young peasant. She wishes to live her life here, where she feels most comfortable; although it is a vastly different lifestyle than she is used to back home. She must work hard to aid in the communist movement she so deeply believes in.

After awhile, Joy realizes that Chairman Mao's promises for a prosperous future are impossible to achieve.  At first the citizens of Green Dragon Village are well fed and happy to put in long hours in the fields to participate in the Great Leap Forward. But the plans for China, to produce huge quantities of crops that will rival the USA's exports, demand that the peasant's work harder and harder with less and less food. One particular winter was the worst. Many people in Joy's village died of starvation. Meanwhile, Pearl is living in Shanghai and trying desperately to get a travel permit to see her daughter. Pearl and other city dwellers are having a rough time too but they are kept blind to the devastation in the countryside so as China will appear to be a successful country to other nations.

Dreams of Joy has a largely political focus while still continuing See's themes of familial bond, tragedy, and love. I found this story had a slow start but it was fascinating to learn about Mao's communist regime in China and the ridiculous promises he had made. Then, once the communist theories begin to break down in practice, the story becomes completely engrossing as Joy and her family fight for their lives. The love that a mother has for her child and the things she'll do to protect them are beautifully portrayed in See's characters. Fans of Lisa See's novels like Shanghai Girls, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Peony in Love, will not be disappointed with Dreams of Joy. I give this book a Thumbs Up. And I truly hope that See continues writing these enchanting, thought provoking, and tragic stories.

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Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

      In Shanghai Girls Lisa See takes readers farther ahead in time to 1937 China. At this time Shanghai was the "Paris of Asia". Pearl and her younger sister, May, have glamorous lifestyles. They go to parties, have great clothes, and pose for artists. Their life is wonderful until their father announces that he has gambled away their savings. To help pay back his debts he sells his daughters as wives to Chinese men from Los Angeles. When it seems like things couldn't get worse, a war breaks out. Now the sisters must travel alone as refugees to America facing many obstacles and making many sacrifices. Once in America they seek out their husbands and try to build a new life in San Fransisco as immigrants.

I have become a fan of Lisa See's novels. In Peony in Love and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, See writes about the struggles of Chinese women in the 17th and 19th centuries. Shanghai Girls explores the lives of women in the 1900's bringing to light different and new obstacles. While marriage is still a main theme it has a much different approach.

Shanghai Girls was a fast read and the end left an opening for a sequel. I give this book a Thumbs Up! 

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Peony in Love by Lisa See

Peony in Love is a historical fiction about a young girl in 17th century China. Peony's parents believe that unmarried girls should stay in the home at all times. But on one special day, she is allowed to view a play on their property; protected from sight by a screen. She is able, though, to glimpse a man whom she instantly becomes infatuated with. Tragically, Peony has been arranged to marry another man she has not met. Overtime, Peony falls so deeply in love with this man that she becomes heartbroken when her wedding day draws near. It affects her so much so that she becomes deathly ill. "So begins Peony's unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow-as Lisa See's haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed."

Peony in Love is based on accurate historical events and cultural aspects. In this book, Lisa See again explores the roles of women in China. I was happy that the cultural traditions were not repeats of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. See added a twist by including the traditions and rituals of the after-life.

I thought this book was even better than Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It began with some heavier historical content and Chinese language but quickly became much easier to read. The story was beautifully written and very tragic. There was a twist close to the beginning that I was not expecting and it made the story so much more interesting! I give this book a huge Thumbs Up.

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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a wonderful novel about Chinese culture in the 19th century. At the time women were not given equal opportunities. They were expected to spend their lives striving for ideal beauty and being devoted mothers and wives. But two girls learned the secret art of nu shu ('women's writing'). It was a language only women could read. These two girls were paired as 'old sames' with a friendship expected to last a lifetime. "They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their windows to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments."

I thought this book was fascinating especially as See vividly describes the footbinding process. See has done a lot of research to write her novels so the historical facts are accurate. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan chronicles the life of a Chinese girl as she transitions to womanhood and marries. It is incredible what these women would do to prepare for their weddings. They had incredible endurance, pain tolerance, strength, and personal control. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in Chinese culture and history. It is a light and quick read but See gets to the depth of female pain, envy, happiness, and many other emotions.

This book is being added to the Top 10 page. I give this book a Thumbs Up!

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