Book Review - Dreams of Joy

Summary: Reeling from newly uncovered family secrets, and anger at her mother and aunt for keeping them from her, Joy runs away to Shanghai in early 1957 to find her birth father—the artist Z.G. Li, with whom both May and Pearl were once in love. Dazzled by him, and blinded by idealism and defiance, Joy throws herself into the New Society of Red China, heedless of the dangers in the communist regime.

Devastated by Joy’s flight and terrified for her safety, Pearl is determined to save her daughter, no matter the personal cost. From the crowded city to remote villages, Pearl confronts old demons and almost insurmountable challenges as she follows Joy, hoping for reconciliation. Yet even as Joy’s and Pearl’s separate journeys converge, one of the most tragic episodes in China’s history threatens their very lives.

My Thoughts: This is the sequel to Shanghai Girls that was recently published and was excited to get it so fast from the library. I really enjoyed this book, I think even more so than its predecessor, which is pretty rare. All of Lisa See's books are historical fiction based on the Asian culture and I learned so many interesting things about Communism and China in the late 50's, early 60's. If you've read Shanghai Girls, you definitely need to read this one!!