Daughter of Joy

Daughter of Joy is the excellently written story of Ah Toy, a young Chinese woman traveling to San Francisco when she finds herself alone and has to learn to be independent. I was interested right away in Ah Toy's quest to reach her "destiny" and everything that happens along the way. Not only is it a wonderful story, but a great source of historically correct information about living in San Francisco during the gold rush.

From the first page I was swept into the turbulent history of San Francisco, the gold rush, and the amazing life of Ah Toy. Many thanks to JoAnn Levy for bringing this wonderful woman to our attention.

JoAnn Levy's insight into the people and times of the California Gold Rush is beautifully played out in this story of the resourceful Chinese immigrant, Ah Toy. We are transported not only to the raucous streets of 1850s San Francisco, but to the mind of a frightened Chinese woman who finds herself on foreign shores through events not in her control. Her victories over prejudice and poverty are testimony to a valiant spirit, and Ms. Levy's telling of the tale is convincing and heart-stirring. I could feel the dust from horse's hooves and smell the smoke from San Francisco's many fires, but most of all, I remember a woman with courage and resilience, and a sense of humor to get her through the long nights. An excellent read.

I was impressed with Levy's historic research as much as the way she developed an entirely believeable woman that we care about from the moment we meet her.Every conflict which protagonist Ah Toy overcomes feels like a personal triumph. When you reach the last page you are impressed by her survival and certainly have gained new respect for what can be accomplished and overcome through perserverence. Male and female readers will both enjoy this story. It is an ageless adventure worth experiencing and a pleasant way to learn the lusty, raw, cross-cultural history of California. This is part of the "gold rush" story we rarely hear - but should.

JoAnn Levy colorfully evokes the 19th century California gold rush through the eyes of a few Chinese immigrants, principally Ah Toy, a resourceful if often bewildered and sometimes terrified young Chinese woman in mourning for her big, unbound feet, with an idealistic love for a Chinese scholar and a cultural supposition that any man of importance can do as he wishes with her. Her prostitution is simply a practical job for her (she is puzzled by the western moral ethic); the real story is how she finds her own considerable strengths, becomes a guide and support to many others,and in the end turns out to be the heroine of her own life. You really cheer for her. Excellent color of the city which seems to burn down and be rebuilt every few months.