Dreams of Joy, by Lisa See

I went to listen to Lisa See talk about this book, so I got to hear about Pearl, May, Joy and Z.G.and the 17th century Chinese villa before they each came into the story, making the setting and characters even more richly hued.  This is See's one story with a happy ending, with a horrifying path to get the reader there.  After the events of Shanghai Girls, Joy leaves LA to find her birth father and join the People's Revolution in China.  Soon after Pearl travels to China to bring Joy back home.  The horrors of the famines brought on by the absurd practices of the Great Leap Forward are painted vividly, as is corruption, honor, kindness and the will to survive.  Joy's voice, immature, idealistic, is a feat.