Family & Friendship - Fiction, Phases of Life - Fiction, Japanese Fiction

Night of Many Dreams

Name: Night of Many Dreams
Author: Gail Tsukiyama
ISBN: 9780312199401

by Gail Tsukiyama

Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Overview

As World War II threatens their comfortable life in Hong Kong, young Joan and Emma Lew escape with their family to spend the war years in Macao. When they return home, Emma develops a deep interest in travel and sets her sights on an artistic life in San Francisco, while Joan turns to movies and thoughts of romance to escape the pressures of her real life. As the girls become women, each follows a path different from what her family expects. But through periods of great happiness and sorrow, the sisters learn that their complicated ties to each other--and to the other members of their close-knit family--are a source of strength as they pursue their separate dreams.

About the Author, Gail Tsukiyama

Born to a Chinese mother and a Japanese father in San Francisco, Gail Tsukiyama's novels include Dreaming Water, Women of the Silk, The Language of Threads, and The Samurai's Garden. She lives in El Cerrito, California.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

From the Publisher

"Delicately fashioned . . . Evocative." --The New York Times Book Review

"Tsukiyama tells a quietly powerful and understated story of women finding their way in the world, and the strength they derive from family ties." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Grows in richness as it proceeds, a paean to the sustaining pleasures of family." --Booklist

"Tsukiyama writes with great sensory detail, allowing her reader to touch, taste, and feel the world she creates." --Library Journal

"With unexpected poignancy . . . Tsukiyama skillfully demonstrates how the strength of family bonds can provide spiritual sustenance." --Publishers Weekly

San Francisco Chronicle

Tsukiyama tells a quietly powerful and understated story of women finding their way in the world, and the strength they derive from family ties.

Library Journal

A work of historical fiction, Tsukiyama's Samurai's Garden, LJ 2/15/95 latest novel contains several strong female characters. Set during the onset of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1940, it first introduces readers to sisters Joan and Emma Lew, ages 14 and nine. The girls, with their servant Foon and their mother's first cousin, Auntie Go, all live "privileged" lives together in Hong Kong until they decide to flee from the imposing Japanese and emigrate to Macao, leaving their father behind to watch the family home. At the war's end, the family returns to Hong Kong with the intention of rebuilding and reclaiming their lives. Culminating in the year 1965, this novel follows its characters through 15 years of growth, maturity, and self-discovery. The ending is a bit rushed, leaving the sisters' characters slightly underdeveloped and perhaps allowing room for a sequel?. But because Tsukiyama writes with great sensory detail, allowing her reader to touch, taste, and feel the world she creates, the work does remain a satisfying read. Recommended for Asian American and larger fiction collections.Shirley N. Quan, Orange Cty. P.L., Fountain Valley, Cal.