Dreams of Joy

Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See
Random House, 2011. 354 pgs. Fiction

Dreams of Joy picks up the story of sisters Pearl and May where Shanghai Girls left off: on the night in 1957 when Pearl's daughter, Joy, discovers family secrets that her mother and her aunt have been keeping from her. Blinded by idealism and defiance, Joy runs away to China to find her true father and throws herself into the New Society, heedless of the dangers present in the communist regime. Devastated by Joy’s flight and terrified for her safety, Pearl follows her to China determined to find her, no matter the 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.

After finishing Shanghai Girls I was frustrated by the abrupt ending, so I was happy to discover that there was a sequel that completes the story. This book is hard to put down as it moves from one problem to another, following Pearl and Joy as they discover that everything in Mao’s China is not as it seems. Some of the book takes place during the horrific famine that followed the Great Leap Forward and the descriptions are truly heartbreaking. I did like the fact that the book not only has an action-packed plot, but that the internal changes in both women were compelling enough to keep me reading as well.

JC