I reccomend reading "Shanghai Girls" before reading this. I did and that gave good foundation for this novel. I wish there were six stars to give it as I believe this is See's best! An incredible story wonderfully told. The historical setting was very enlightening.

More like a 4 1/2

I enjoyed this book just as much at Shanghai Girls. Quick read and interesting to learn more about that time in China.

Enjoyed this book and the characters, but found it somewhat predictable. Overall a good story that continued the story in Shanghai Girls.

I highly recommend Dreams of Joy. I enjoyed this sequel even more than Shanghai Girls. Both fictional stories are set during true historical events. After reading these wonderful novels, I want to watch the movie, "Joy Luck Club", again!

If you've read Shanghai Girls, then you must read Dreams of Joy. Wonderful story of hope, perseverance and love.

I was excited to read this sequel to “Shanghai Girls” which was a really interesting read about two sisters who are forced to leave China as brides to Chinese Americans during the inception of WWII. This current book follows the life of their daughter Joy who goes back to China during the early days of Communism and the Great Leap Forward. Again it was interesting to read a fictional story against the backdrop of historical events. However even though the story was enjoyable I didn’t feel it was as well developed as Shanghai Girls, feeling rushed particularly later in the story. In addition some of the events See writes about are so horrific that they seem utterly unbelievable and yet apparently most of these stories are true as well or at least as told by people who experienced the terribly debacle of that Communist campaign.

wonderful sequel to Shankghai Girls

This book was fabulous and a must read sequel to Shanghai Girls. This and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan are among the best books I ever read.

In Lisa See’s new novel, a headstrong young woman who grew up in Los Angeles rejects her family and the United States to find out what China is like during the Great Leap Forward. "The dreams are not only Joy’s personal dreams, but also the Chinese government’s broad, sweeping claims that the Great Leap Forward will turn China into a paradise. Joy and Pearl can attest: These dreams are not coming true." Janet Maslin NYT June 10 2011 Sequel to Shanghai Girls (Pennie's Pick for May 2011).