Dreams of Joy is a sequel to
Shanghai Girls. Pearl Chin's daughter, Joy, was conceived in China, a secret kept from Joy. The discovery of this fact sends Joy to Shanghai in 1957 to find her biological father. Joy embraces China and its rulers, while Pearl returns to China to save her daughter from what she's sure is a dangerous situation. Joy's father is sent to the countryside for re-education. It's part of Chairman Mao's Great Leap Forward, which sent large sections of the population to the rural areas, resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of people. It's a situation that threatens to ensnare both Pearl and Joy. Lisa See's novel has received positive reviews with BookReporter.com saying, "No writer has better captured the voice and heart of Chinese culture both in America and in China as See has done in
Shanghai Girls and now in
Dreams of Joy."
