  | Dragonfly eyes Author: Cao, Wenxuan | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
Ah-Mei and her French grandmother, Nainai, share a rare bond. Politics and war make 1960s Shanghai a hard place to grow up, especially when racism and bigotry are rife, and everyone seems suspicious of Nainai's European heritage and interracial marriage. In this time of political upheaval, Ah-Mei and her family suffer much and when the family silk business is seized by the government, will the tender connection they share bring them enough strength to carry through?
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.80 Points: 15.0 Quiz: 515606 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/15/22)
Booklist (05/15/22)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (A) (00/07/22)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 05/15/2022 In this family saga, Ah-Mei and her French grandmother, Nainai, have a special bond, bearing an uncanny physical resemblance to one another. Their blue-eyed beauty—unlike that of their Chinese family—causes heads to turn, family members to adore, and servants to pledge loyalty. Dragonfly Eyes spans place (Lyons to Shanghai) and time (from the 1920s to WWII to the Cultural Revolution), with the promise of compelling cross-cultural, intergenerational relationships. The story begins with a wealthy Chinese silk manufacturer marrying in France and bringing his new family back to Shanghai, where they live in peace and luxury until the Japanese invasion. Then, poverty rears its ugly head so that Ah-Mei and Nainai have to forgo daily comforts and pawn treasures to keep up a standard of living. What the book lacks in depth, it makes up for in drama, giving a glimpse of how the Cultural Revolution impacted daily life. Some readers might be inspired to learn more about colorism in Chinese culture. Most will overlook narrative gaps and patchy context to enjoy this fast-paced book to the end. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
