Dragonfly Dreams by Jennifer Chow is the story of a woman who dies giving birth and becomes a ghost to guide her daughter’s first years. Fresno, CA in the 1880 with the end of the gold rush and the beginning of the Transcontinental Rail Line serves as the historical backdrop for this multigenerational drama of an immigrant family from China.
After dying, Topaz chooses to stay close to her daughter to guide her spiritual journey. Topaz soon finds out that the path she has taken will present her with possibilities that have direct consequences for the life of her daughter, Jasmine, and her extended family. Although Topaz now can use some supernatural powers, she can’t help feeling earthly passions such as jealousy and attachment. In the end, Topaz learns to let go and accept her own death.
I love Dragonfly Dreams, Chow’s latest book, for its sensitivity to multiculturalism and multigenerational issues. Her story is one of accepting identity, the process of acculturation to a new homeland and how it affects the second and third generation of women and men in a family in different ways.
I highly recommend Dragonfly Dreams not only to its intended young adult audience, but also to those interested in exploring acculturation across generations.
