Dreams of Joy

A Novel

By: Lisa See

Narrated by: Janet Song

Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

In her beloved New York Times bestsellers Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, and, most recently, Shanghai Girls, Lisa See has brilliantly illuminated the potent bonds of mother love, romantic love, and love of country. Now, in her most powerful novel yet, she returns to these timeless themes, continuing the story of sisters Pearl and May from Shanghai Girls, and Pearl’s strong-willed nineteen-year-old daughter, Joy.

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.

Acclaimed for her richly drawn characters and vivid storytelling, Lisa See once again renders a family challenged by tragedy and time, yet ultimately united by the resilience of love.

©2011 Lisa See (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

“See’s emotional themes are powerful... the bonds of sisterhood [and] the psychological journey of becoming an American.” (The Washington Post)

“A broadly sweeping tale.... The detail is thoughtful and intricate.” (The New York Times)

“[See evokes] a time and place with tantalizing detail.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

A peak into a different world

This book was an adventure, a journey into a different world. I was unfamiliar with this time in Chinese history and found it totally enthralling. The narrator was very talented and an asset to the experience.

Vivid book!

This book was fantastic! it takes the listener through catharsis and creates an amazing imagery!

Another well researched novel

I have read all of Lisa See's other books and am looking forward to her next one. All of her books are written after months, if not years, of research. This one is no different, however this part of history did not set well with me in some parts. It is not Ms. See's fault that history is so ugly, but it was difficult at times to listen to what was happening in the story. It is one thing to be aware of events in history and another thing to hear about it in historical fiction. This is my first See audiobook so maybe I was not ready to listen to the stories I usually read with my eyes. I may still buy the book because I remembered at the end how she usually gives some background on the research she did for the book. I do not recall that being in the audiobook version.

Great sequel!

This is the sequel to Shanghai Girls.

I loved how the story carried on in the novel tightly linked to Shanghai girls. I appreciated how the narration went between mother and daughter. The historical accuracies that are woven within the fictional characters and events transport you back in time and right within the scenes unfolding.

A Mother’s Love

It’s nice to see how much Pearl and Mei have grown. Joy on the other hand reminds of every stubborn child not wanting to listen to their parents but learns from her mistakes the hard way. Joy’s character slowly grows and becomes more aware of her surroundings and the people around her. All in all the novel proves that a mother’s love will go a long distance and there is literally nothing that will stop a mother from loving and protecting her child.

Relationships among each character, how they interacted towards each other.

Liked and well told with the three main characters! Liked liked liked liked liked liked liked

Great completion to the story

What about Janet Song’s performance did you like?

As with Shanghai Girls and Snowflower and the Secret Fan, Janet Song provided the perfect voice for this story. Each character was distinct, and she handled even the male voices well. I cannot imagine a better voice for Lisa See's stories.

Any additional comments?

Shanghai Girls had me completely captivated, and I eagerly jumped right into Dreams of Joy to continue the saga. While I found myself getting irritated and impatient with Joy for rejecting every piece of sound advice she was given knowing that she would have a rude awakening very soon, I admired Pearl for her courage, loyalty and steadfast commitment to save her daughter from herself. The historical setting was facinating, showing the madness of the Great Leap Forward - making disasterous policies in opposition to all conventional wisdom about agritulture and manufacturing. "Quantity over quality" and the criminal disregard for human life nearly destroyed one of the great cultures of history. While the ending may have been somewhat unrealistic, it did provide a very satisfactory ending to a great story.

I'm hooked on Lisa See!

I finished Shanghai Girls and wasn't convinced that Dreams of Joy could possibly compare. Now that I've finished it all I can see is it doesn't, it's that much better! I really could not have imagined a more gripping, gut wrenching tale than the first but it is. I have so many things in common with Pearl even though I am not Chinese. The struggles, pain and triumphs of women are universal.

Couldn't stand to put it down!

Dreams of Joy was a captivating story, excellently narrated.

This is my 3rd Lisa See novel after reading my 1st two months ago and I can't wait to read more!

wow

it was definitely hard to keep listening at times but I had to. I had to keep hope for joy. Lisa See is a amazing. I hope to meet her one day