A Goodreads user
asked
Lisa See:
I just finished Dreams of Joy, and wow! I was shocked and awed with how much I did not know about communism in China. How much research goes into one of your books?
Lisa See
Hi, Julie,
Those were some pretty grim times in China. It's hard to imagine that it's even the same place today.
I do a tremendous amount of research. I also try to find people who lived through that time. And I go to the places that I write about. For Dreams of Joy, Amy Tan and I traveled to a small village in Anwei province. That village was the inspiration for the village where Joy goes and it was the inspiration for the village in Amy's book, the Valley of Amazement.) I'd say that over the two years it took me to write Dreams of Joy that probably half of the time was spent on research.
Lisa
Those were some pretty grim times in China. It's hard to imagine that it's even the same place today.
I do a tremendous amount of research. I also try to find people who lived through that time. And I go to the places that I write about. For Dreams of Joy, Amy Tan and I traveled to a small village in Anwei province. That village was the inspiration for the village where Joy goes and it was the inspiration for the village in Amy's book, the Valley of Amazement.) I'd say that over the two years it took me to write Dreams of Joy that probably half of the time was spent on research.
Lisa
More Answered Questions
Alta
asked
Lisa See:
I just read your answer to a different question, and it seems that in Mandarin, "wife" is represented as a woman with a broom. Is that correct? That would be rather...funny. Which makes me wonder about the symbol of a witch in Western cultures: woman on a broom. I wonder where that comes from? And do you know how a witch is depicted in Chinese?
Cesca Zohar
asked
Lisa See:
I absolutely love all of your books! Thank you for so many wonderful and fascinating stories! I am very much looking forward to reading The Tea Girl on Hummingbird Lane. ~Are there certain characters that you would love to develop for any future novels? Are there any specific themes/ideas about China, Chinese history, Chinese Culture & Customs that you would love to work with and write about in the future?
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