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Dreams of Joy: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,900 ratings

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.

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Product details

Listening Length 15 hours and 43 minutes
Author Lisa See
Narrator Janet Song
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date May 31, 2011
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0053ET4DC
Best Sellers Rank #31,780 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#358 in Fiction Sagas
#1,188 in Literary Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#1,409 in Women's Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
3,900 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and well-written. They appreciate the rich historical details about life during those times. The storyline is described as a love story between mother and child, with the theme of family relationships at the center. Readers describe the book as a continuation of the first book Shanghai Sisters. They praise the well-developed and realistic characters that are brought to life through the author's writing style.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

255 customers mention "Story quality"255 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it an exciting read with a good narrative that blends history and fiction well. The book covers Chinese philosophy and the Great Leap Forward, making it a must-read novel.

"...Sure there are some contrived events, but sometimes that is just good story telling. See is a master story teller...." Read more

"...A very enjoyable read and exactly what I have come to expect from Lisa See. She certainly does not disappoint her loyal fans. A must read." Read more

"...I love how the story picked up exactly where we ended in the previous book...." Read more

"Really enjoyed the book. First Lisa See book that I read- wonderful author! Looking forward to reading more of her books." Read more

207 customers mention "Writing quality"201 positive6 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book. They find the author's writing style engaging and well-researched. Readers describe the book as excellent and one of the best of her novels.

"...Her biological father is a handsome, charming and talented artist named Z.G. who has carved out his own career in communist China...." Read more

"...Alternatively heart warming and hard to read, the book does a great job of taking the reader along on the journey of a young idealistic woman who..." Read more

"What a thoughtful and revealing glimpse into Mao’s China...." Read more

"...She's a terrific writer and I love the subjects. I'm not as crazy about Dreams of Joy as I am about some of her other work...." Read more

170 customers mention "Enlightened"170 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it informative and engaging, with rich historical details about life during those times. The author presents the facts in an interesting and relevant way, making it a great read. The book also covers Chinese philosophy and women's issues.

"...Alternatively heart warming and hard to read, the book does a great job of taking the reader along on the journey of a young idealistic woman who..." Read more

"...An excellent story told with compassion and wisdom." Read more

"...She's a terrific writer and I love the subjects. I'm not as crazy about Dreams of Joy as I am about some of her other work...." Read more

"...other novels, I give praise to See for writing such detailed accounts of historical events that must be remembered lest we forget, and worse, repeat...." Read more

106 customers mention "Storyline"90 positive16 negative

Customers like the storyline. They say it's a story of love and dedication, with actions motivated by love. The theme of family relationships is central to the book, providing closure and surprises for the family. Readers mention the book covers life, love, betrayal, and war.

"...This story about life, love, betrayal and war covers all the emotions and is a satisfying read...." Read more

"In this follow up to Shanghai Girls, Lisa See does a masterful job of portraying life in communist China in the 1950s...." Read more

"...But more than that, this is a story about family, about women, and about the misconceptions that lead to missteps that lead to disasters...." Read more

"...love and devotion moved me because her actions are unselfish and motivated by love...." Read more

90 customers mention "Sequel"83 positive7 negative

Customers enjoyed the sequel to Shanghai Girls. They found it a good continuation of the first book and a terrific two-book series.

"...I thought this was a great sequel to Shanghai girls. I love how the story picked up exactly where we ended in the previous book...." Read more

"...This was definitely a sequel worth reading." Read more

"Great sequel to the Shanghai Girls book!!!! Excellent look into the horrors of Mao's China, with the same characters from previous book...." Read more

"This is the sequel to SHANGHAI GIRLS (which I rate 5 stars) but is not quite as good...." Read more

75 customers mention "Character development"67 positive8 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed and realistic characters. The author brings them to life with her writing style. They appreciate the closure for the characters introduced in the first novel and the author's way of letting the story be told through the characters' eyes. Readers also praise the descriptions of people, locations, and the heroine's spirit.

"...The character development of Joy was told very well...." Read more

"...details provided by Lisa See make the scenes and experiences these characters faced very real....so real that you would almost think she was there...." Read more

"I really liked that the author let the story be told thru the characters eyes...." Read more

"...Sees is adept at thoroughly researching her subjects and then creating characters, both major and minor, who have great depth and heart...." Read more

56 customers mention "Historical detail"56 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the historical detail in the book. They find it well-written and accurate, with intense descriptions of country life. The storyline is engaging and provides insight into the suffering of the Great Chinese Famine and the policies forced upon Chinese people. Readers praise the author's storytelling abilities.

"...gathers information, written and oral, to put together an impressive historical account of the downhill slide of China's economy...." Read more

"...make the scenes and experiences these characters faced very real....so real that you would almost think she was there. Excellent book!" Read more

"...Excellent historical fiction" Read more

"...AND THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD REFLECTS LISA SEES LOVE OF HISTORY, PEOPLE AND LAND...." Read more

53 customers mention "Intrigue"47 positive6 negative

Customers find the book captivating and engaging. They find the plot exciting and suspenseful, with many surprises throughout. The author captures their attention and makes them deeply care about the story.

"...heart warming and hard to read, the book does a great job of taking the reader along on the journey of a young idealistic woman who travels to China..." Read more

"What a thoughtful and revealing glimpse into Mao’s China...." Read more

"...This is a fascinating glimpse of what the people of Red China did to survive what amounts to a catastrophic social experiment that caused the death..." Read more

"...some hair raising tales of the suffering that occurred, and keeps the reader in suspense about whether she and her aunt will escape this new China." Read more

Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy MUST BE READ TOGETHER!
4 out of 5 stars
Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy MUST BE READ TOGETHER!
I am going to cover two books in one review. Now why would I do that? These two books are intricately interwoven and you cannot get the full story without reading both books. Both books are written by the fabulously descriptive, Lisa See. I read Shanghai Girls and I was fully ready to give it a bad review for how it ended because I was unaware there was a second book. That is how closely these two stories intertwine. You cannot fully appreciate the story arch without reading both.The first of the books Shanghai Girls which follows the lives of Pearl and May two sisters from Shanghai, China. The girls are from an upper class family trying to navigate a changing culture when their father forces them into arraigned marriage to cover his gambling debts. Pearl and May flee Shanghai (without their husbands) when the Japanese invade the mainland and begin bombing the city. The girls journey through the countryside and eventually wind up immigrating to the United States. The story follows their lives and the life of their daughter (yes, one singular daughter for the both of them...) as they navigate life in a foreign country during changing times.The second book is titled Dreams of Joy and it follows the story of Pearl and May's daughter by the same name. Joy is an American born daughter of Chinese immigrants. She is raised in conflicting worlds torn between cultural expectations of her Chinese family and societal expectations of her American friends. When Joy goes to university she learns about Communist China and falls in love with the idea of going back to her parents homeland. When circumstances conspire, Joy runs away to China and Pearl follows her to bring her back. In China Joy and Pearl both learn a great deal about themselves, each other, and the past while trying to survive Communist China.Shanghai GirlsThings I Liked*Lisa See is an incredibly talented author. Her writing is detailed to the point that you can almost smell the stench of the Shanghai streets as May and Pearl begin their adventures.*The strength of the girls' mother is incredible. I think Lisa See did a fabulous job writing her.Things I Didn't Like*There is a rape scene in the center of the book. It came out of nowhere for me and it really messed with me. I understand that rape has been used as a weapon during times of war for millennia, however I think the See should consider putting a warning at the front of the book. I had to put the book down for several days before I was able to continue the book.Dreams of JoyThings I Liked*The incredible love shown from Pearl is amazing. Her character can often be weaker and timid throughout the story but the decision to go to China to find Joy, knowing that she may never be allowed to return to the United States makes her one of the bravest characters I have come across in literature.Things I Didn't Like* Joy is a spoiled rotten brat. She very gets herself and several other innocent people killed because she is too foolhardy to listen to her mother and aunt about what communist China is really like.*I really don't care for the romantic entanglement that Pearl gets herself into with a one night stand in China. I think this could have been left out of the story completely without damaging the narrative of the book.Overall, I give both Shanghai Girls and Joy a solid B+. These books opened my eyes to what communism is like in a way that nothing else ever has. Of course, I took government and economics classes in both high school and college that discussed the concepts of both socialism and communism. However, it is completely different to understand the ridiculous lack of knowledge from the higher ups in the communist party and the impact that had on the people of China. This books inspired me to look into the real numbers. Mao's Great Leap Forward that is discussed in the book killed 45 MILLION OF ITS OWN PEOPLE in 4 just years. To put that into perspective for you, the Nazi holocaust in 1939-1945 killed 6 million Jews. I didn't realize how bad it was until I read this fictional book that contained real life facts.Lisa See takes her main characters through such an incredible journey that your heart aches for the China that was lost while simultaneously hoping that the new China will succeed. This is a story that must be savored, and should be enjoyed several times to understand some of the more complex themes. But again, do not read just one of these books. They absolutely must be read together (and in order) to be able to fully understand Pearl's (and Joy's) growth and development.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2013
    Dreams of Joy is a story about love- a mother's love for her child. This novel is the sequel to Shanghai girls. Joy ,Pearl's daughter and May's niece learns that May is her true biological mother and Pearl is her aunt. She also learns that the father she adored was not her real father. Her biological father is a handsome, charming and talented artist named Z.G. who has carved out his own career in communist China. Joy also feels responsible for her purported father's suicide. He too never knew that Joy was not his biological daughter. Joy an idealistic University of Chicago student who has become a communist. The enchanting philosophy of communism appeals to her sense of charity and justice. She runs off to China both to escape the reality of her discovery, her guilt over her purported father's death, to find her biological father, and to participate in the new China. Both Pearl and May are horrified. They realize nineteen year old Joy's mistake and Pearl takes off after her while May stays home to look after their business interests. Joy finds her father,marries an illiterate and poor country boy, makes her home in the countryside, and gives birth to her own daughter in rustic impoverished circumstances. Shortly after her marriage, she realizes she made a mistake in choosing her spouse. He quickly becomes unfaithful and uncaring. Further, he becomes out right cruel to her when she bears him a daughter instead of a son. Even though the communists have tried to improve the status and importance of women in the culture, the strong Chinese bias in favor of sons persists especially in rural areas. Yet none of Joy's letters about her changed feelings and circumstances reach Pearl. By the time Joy realizes that Communism does not work and that she has made a terrible mistake, she is trapped in a famine in rural China. She and her child as well as all the villagers are starving. People die every day. They have taken to killing and eating their female infants and Joy realizes her daughter's very existence depends on her escape from the countryside. Correspondence is strictly censored. Pearl who is now living in Shanghai has no idea that her daughter is living in such dire circumstances. During his failing leap year program Mao tries to hide the famine rampant in China from the world. Hence Pearl cannot get a travel permit for the countryside even though she has never seen her grandchild who is only a one day's journey away. Even though food shortages have reached Shanghai, Pearl and Z.G. have no idea how dire Joy's circumstances are. None of her letters arrive in Shanghai and all the little correspondence Joy receives is strictly censored. The food and goods Pearl sends along with her letters are stolen before they reach Joy. Joy does not understand why her mother has not responded to her many requests for help, but she assumes that Pearl has not received her letters. Finally Joy finds a way to surreptitiously notify Pearl. Once Pearl learns of the disastrous conditions in which Joy is living, she and Z.G. devise a way to rescue her. Z.G. is a prominent communist artist and has been in the movement since before Japan's invasion of China. Together they rescue Joy and her daughter. They also rescue her husband. After saving Joy and her child from starvation and the privations of the countryside, Pearl and Z.G. begin to devise a method to get her and themselves out of China. May finances all of the work by running Pearl's cafe and her business in Los Angeles. She awaits them in Hong Kong. Meanwhile Pearl has truly fallen in love with the professor living in what was once her family home and where she now occupies one room. They marry before the escape plan is hatched. He is her true love. I will not tell the ending here. See pulls the bamboo curtain back and we see communist china with all its warts. This book is well written. These may not be pulitzer prize winning novels, but they are every bit as satisfying when read together as Snowflower and the Secret Fan. See has an excellent command of the English language. She paints a clear picture of life in pre-World War II Shanghai, war torn Shanghai, life for the Chinese immigrant in the U.S. and life in Mao's communist China. This story about life, love, betrayal and war covers all the emotions and is a satisfying read. Sure there are some contrived events, but sometimes that is just good story telling. See is a master story teller. Most readers will be truly satisfied.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2013
    In this follow up to Shanghai Girls, Lisa See does a masterful job of portraying life in communist China in the 1950s. Alternatively heart warming and hard to read, the book does a great job of taking the reader along on the journey of a young idealistic woman who travels to China in search of her utopia and slowly exposing us to the progression of her maturity as she is confronted with the harsh living conditions and the realities of life in communist China.

    Well written, well researched and well thought out, this book not only educates about a life most Americans can't even begin to fathom, but also weaves a beautiful parent-child story that many can related to.

    A very enjoyable read and exactly what I have come to expect from Lisa See. She certainly does not disappoint her loyal fans. A must read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2024
    Dreams of Joy continues the story from Shanghai girls. After Pearl and Mays huge fight, and the revelation of who Joys father is, Joy runs away to China. She thinks that she will find her father and join the reveloution to make China a better place. However, once she arrives she’s learns at every turn that this country doesn’t have as much to offer as she thought.

    I thought this was a great sequel to Shanghai girls. I love how the story picked up exactly where we ended in the previous book. While the first book focused more on the relationship between sisters May and Pearl, the second one was told from the POV of Joy and Pearl. It was interesting to hear about all the ways Pearls native country changed since she was a girl. The way that China wanted the outside world to believe they were changing for the better, while those who lived there suffered in silence.

    The character development of Joy was told very well. We were able to see her change from a bratty teenager who thinks she knows it all, to a grown woman longing for the days of her childhood. When she was living on the commune with Tao, she thought she knew exactly what she wanted, but like most teenagers who make impulsive decisions, she realized she was wrong.

    The only real critique is the ending. (Spoiler) We can assume that once Z.G saw May they fell in love and they all got to America and lived happily ever after, but she doesn’t tell us that. I think we need a third book about May and ZGs life and maybe a story about Tao trying to get Sam back. Other than that, I thought it was a great read, and would recommend!
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
    What a thoughtful and revealing glimpse into Mao’s China. But more than that, this is a story about family, about women, and about the misconceptions that lead to missteps that lead to disasters. And it’s about the shock of shedding preconceptions in order to confront reality. “I thought I could use idealism to solve my inner conflicts, but in healing my inner conflicts I destroyed my idealism.” An excellent story told with compassion and wisdom.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2025
    What could go wrong? A college students runs away, straight into Communist China in the 1950s… I won’t give anything away except to say there is no way you can imagine how this story unfolds. You must read it!!! You will learn so much about a place and time that was so isolated the world is still piecing the stories together. Thank you Lisa See for another eye-opening winner of a novel. Don’t forget to first read Shanghai Girls.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Janet West-Balon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, strong characters, informative
    Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2023
    Excellent series
  • Nicole Ramos
    5.0 out of 5 stars Asombroso
    Reviewed in Mexico on May 26, 2020
    Este libro es la secuela de Shanghai Girls y muy buenos libros los dos! 5/5 la saga completa. Si te gustan las hisrorias con protagonistas chinas o centrado en la cultura oriental...COMPRA ESTOS LIBROS!
  • Bizzy Lizzy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Read Shanghai Girls first, this is part 2.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2020
    You need to read Shanghai Girls by this author first as this book is the continuation of the story. These two books make a very interesting read, the first is full of information about the Chinese immigrants in USA last century, interwoven with the story of the two girls and their harrowing lives. The second is what happened next, lots of inside info on Maoist China, clearly well researched by author. If you enjoy a story about people with a bit of history thrown in you will find it a very good read. I was sorry to finish it! sign of a good book, will be passing it on to a friend.
  • A Reader
    1.0 out of 5 stars Annoying
    Reviewed in India on May 31, 2018
    I received a completely different book “The Way We Were” by Elizabeth Nobel instead of the book I ordered and paid for.
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in Australia on August 5, 2022
    This is one of a number of novels I have read by Lisa See and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it as much as I did with the others. Good story, good plot lines, engaging and believable characters, all the ingredients of a great story.