Dragonfly Dreams

by Eleanor McCallie Cooper

"If a dragonfly lands on you, it means change is coming.

You better watch your dreams, Nini."

Living in China when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Nini and her family don't realize that their world is about to collapse. Nini and her best friend Chiyoko are on their way home from school when they are stopped by Japanese soldiers and forced to step aside for a car with a mysterious passenger. Uncertain of what is happening, they create a secret hiding place to leave messages for each other.

Nini's family is soon forced into hiding to protect her American mother from being arrested and sent to an internment camp. When the family situation becomes desperate amid circumstances of hunger, disease, and quarantine, Nini is the only one who can make the dangerous journey across the war-torn city to save her family and find her best friend.

Not since Empire of the Sun has a book captured the drama of Westerners trapped in China during World War II.

Genres: Historical Fiction

184 pages, Hardcover

Published August 31, 2021

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good book! The ending was rather abrupt though. I wanted more! I’ve never read about the European colonies in China during WW2. I learned so much. Great young adult book.

[Eleanor McCallie]

I am the author, so usually we dont leave reviews, but I wanted to answer some of the questions readers have sent me. Although this book is historical fiction, it is based on a true story of my aunt and her family. What part is true? And what part is fiction? The historical setting In China during WWII is true--I kept an accuarate account of the dates and timing of the the events that happened to the Americans and Europeans that were still in China at that time--when the Imperial Japanese forces took control and followed the same pattern as Nazi Germany, making foreigners register, wear arm bands, and then sending them to internment camps.

My aunt who lived in China at that time survived because her family kept her hidden. I kept the family structure the same--Chinese father and three children. I also kept some of the details of the events as my aunt experienced them.

The fictionalization comes in imagining what this experience was like for her daughter who is the main character, Nini. She becomes the heroine of the story because she takes risks in going out. Because she looks Chinese, she is able to get around undetected and is able to help the family at a crucial time. I imagined the plot which reaches a climax when Nini goes out alone and finds information about the war that saves the family. Chiyoko, Nini's best friend is a fictional character. The storyline of trying to find her is also fiction. This element of friendship I felt was essential to the storyline.

The ending is not fiction. The American planes flew overhead, announcing that Japan had been defeated and the end of the war in China would come soon. The family members, including Nini, were looking for this sign. It took four long years and so much had happened during that time. Nini is overcome with emotion when she sees the planes flying overhead.

WWII happened all over the world. A teacher could use this book to show what happened in China under Japanese control. There are many books about what happened to the Jews in Europe and some books about the Japanese internment n America. These three different perspectives can make a very interesting course.

The non-fiction story of my aunt is told in my other two books about Grace in China (both books are the same story by two different publishers). Thank you so much for your interest and support.

[Kristiana Mallo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender account of 1941-1945 WWII Japanese occupation in China told from the point of view of a 10 year old fiesty and tenacious little girl named Nini. At around 150 pages, it is a quick read, but will leave a big impression. I really, really enjoyed it and I recommend it for all ages!

Bonus: the author was raised and lives in Chattanooga, TN (where I live) and we had the pleasure of having her at our book club discussion for Dragonfly Dreams.

[Jackson D · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I am reviewing is called Dragonfly Dreams by Eleanor McCallie Cooper. It's about an American-Chinese family adapting to life in the Imperial Japanese occupation of China in WW2. The people you need to know are Ma the American mother of Nini, Da the Chinese dad of Nini, Nini a teenage girl and the main character, Meimei Nini’s younger sister, Weilien, Nini’s baby brother, and Chiyoko Nini’s best friend.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!

We start our story in the fields of Japanese occupied China where Nini is about to kill a dragon fly that landed on her but Chiyoko stops her and says that it means good luck and gives her a box with a dragonfly necklace. They return to the town to see guards blocking the street and cruelly pushing away people making way for a fancy car carrying a special person. They then agree to exchange notes to each other by placing notes in a brick and checking on it every once in a while as communication gets difficult. We then get taken to Nini’s home where we meet her family and the father says that his job is being threatened due to having an American wife. They are then forced to move out and to Auntie Boxins mansion to protect Ma (American wife). Time passes and they discover that the Japs are kicking out all foreigners and sending them somewhere so they move away from the city and hide out in the country. Few years pass and they have little supplies and food. During a supply run Mei Mei gets very sick so Nini has to sneak into town and find Sun (Old cook) so he can cure her. During the trip Nini stops by Chiyokos house and to her surprise they still live there. She spends a few hours there and leaves to go get Sun. She brings Sun back and he begins the process of curing her. Time passes and Auntie Boxin passes away from tuberculosis. Nini then runs outside and see’s American planes in the sky that makes Nini conclude that the war is over.

I think the main goal was just to survive in a Japanese occupation till the war ends without sucking up to Japan and betraying China. That goal becomes more and more difficult as the story progresses and they start running out of the necessities to survive. “In many ways he's like you, Nini. He's curious and restless and prone to outbursts.” Da was comparing Nini to the Brass monkey they put out to celebrate the Year of the Monkey (the year she was born in). I believe that this explains why Nini is as reckless as she is.

I recommend this book to the people that like learning about the Pacific war because while it doesnt show the war in the Pacific, it shows what life was like and what some people did to survive in Japanese occupied China. Im relatively satisfied with the ending but i do wish she touched on their post war life a little bit it left me with a lot of questions. Did they move to America? Did they stay in China and help rebuild? One thing I like about the book is that it was more down to earth and realistic compared to other WW2 books. It talked about what it's like not having things we take for granted ex: soap. One thing I didn't like is that she didn’t explain enough who some of the characters were ex: Amah i don’t remember her telling us her purpose. But overall I liked the book and if it ever comes out, I would read the sequel to this book.

[Annajune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction of WWII time period but in China. Japan takes over portions of China, including the area all the mixed nationalities live in. Nini is American born to American and Chinese parents and is living in China. She suddenly finds her life very different and tries to make sense of all the changes. She has to move out of her apartment and then moves again. Her mother stays hidden, Dad is suddenly unemployed and she can no longer see her best friend. Part of why this fascinated me so much was I totally didn't know this happened, or only vaguely knew. Also, I really loved the description for the story: The envelope is the facts the story contained inside isn't entirely true. The time period and framework were true but the characters were made up, although it is loosely based on a real person.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dragonfly Dreams" offers a rare insight into life in China during the Japanese take over in the 1940s. The protagonist is a young girl, Nini, whose mother is American while her father is Chinese. This fast-paced book takes us on a journey of struggle and sacrifice. Nini misses her best friend and her much loved life before everything was taken away. To be able to ease drop on Nina's life allows us to imagine what the Chinese people and other ex-patriates experienced.
Eleanor doesn't sugar coat this story. Young readers will appreciate "Dragonfly Dreams" and its examination of survival during hard times and how friendships can endure even the most harsh situations. An entertaining read and a perfect fictional companion to Mrs. Cooper's previous non-fiction book, "Grace: An American Woman in China, 1934-1974."

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dragonfly Dreams" is a story that takes place in China during the Japanese take over in the 1940s. The protagonist is a young girl, Nini, who is half American and half Chinese. She learns how to survive and endure the hardships that follow. Nini misses her best friend and the life she had before everything was taken away. This fast-paced novel gives the reader a glimpse into what life was like for the Chinese people and ex-patriates.
Mrs. Cooper doesn't sugar coat her story; something young readers will appreciate. "Dragonfly Dreams" is a perfect fictional blend from her non-fictional book; "Grace: An American Woman in China, 1934-1974.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very engaging story of two young girls living in China during the occupation of the Japanese during WW 2. The girls have to overcome many obstacles to remain friends such as leaving secret notes in a wall with directions on where to meet and other information. I learned a lot about this occupation from the book and I think young people will learn a lot about WW2 from this story.
It is not often that you find a story that is equally interesting for adults and young adults. This book could lead to some really interesting and instructive conversations.

[Della Tingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, which is based on a true story, is an interesting and informative read. In the late 1930s and 1940s, I am quite familiar with all that was happening in Europe, but this story takes place in China and in the foreign-held territories there. “Britain, France, and other European countries had established territories in China” (163). I simply did not know this or had forgotten it if I had once learned it. Fascinating! So while most of the WW2 books I read are set in Europe, this one is set in China focusing on Westerners stuck there during the war.

[Mary Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story documenting a moment in history

This snapshot — as told through the experiences of a young girl in China during the Japanese occupation — is rich with historical detail. Although this book is designed for younger readers, it is a lively read for adults, too. The author builds plot tension as she carries the reader back into the sights and sounds of the world during WWII. Told through the lens of childhood, the story is persuasive, powerful and authentic.

[Sue H. Reynolds]

history through storytelling

This is a fictionalized story of a real family who lived through the Japanese occupation of China in the years before the end of WW 2 . It describes facts of that era in an entertaining way that is instructional to young readers and can be enjoyed by adults as well.

[Danielle Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragonfly Dreams is a masterfully-written story of WWII like never before, giving a child's intimate look at the injustice and brutality of the Japanese occupation of China and its effects on her Chinese-American family. Readers will share Nini's raw emotions, wanting to kick and scream at the Japanese soldiers just as she does.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Interesting story based on true events told in the voice of a preadolescent mixed ethnic girl living in China during WWII. Reads like a memoire. Exceptional family pictures in the author’s notes are a great addition!

[Jim Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful and informative story that is based on the real experience of a family in China at the beginning of the World War II.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've learned about Chinese history from a Western perspective, so this pov of a half-Chinese half-American girl lets us see these events through a new lens.