Dreams Of Joy by Lisa See

All the interviews are carried out very recently, specifically in the past couple of months.  Lisa See tells us what her new book, the second in the Pearl and May series published in May 2011 and sequel to Shanghai Girls (2009), is about.  There are some interesting tidbits.  Watch:



There is a lot of viewing time on the following videos (in two parts) but I think they are actually worth watching.  I am intrigued by what Lisa See says about the cultures and history of China:





Another set of videos of Dreams Of Joy in two parts.  They are worth watching:





My take:  This is a very powerful and heart-wrenching novel that will affect you days after you have finished reading it - mark my words.  Beautifully written and intricately researched with a lot of interesting details about life in China specifically revolving around family life, its hapless society and Chinese women during Mao's reign of terror in the late 1950s.  The grim horrors of the Great Leap Forward are utterly haunting and I can never get past the sheer shock every time I read about them.  Apart from it being a book that gives room for some serious thoughts, this is in itself an educational book about a memorable time in the history of communist China and in the history of mankind and what better way to learn history than from the pen of a gifted writer I say!

Is there a lesson to be learned from the story?  I guess numerous but the one that comes foremost to mind is:  No matter what life throws at us, good or bad, and especially the bad, never ever accept defeat.  Be strong and fight for what you believe in courageously.

You can read this as a stand-alone of course but you would better understand the story as a cohesive whole if you read Shanghai Girls first.  I highly recommend all of See's books and look forward to more.

For information on the author, her other books, events, her new movie, keeping in touch with her, etc, do access the author's official website here.

You can read The Washington Post's book review of Dreams of Joy here.

Rating:  5/5