In this novel, Moon Shadow comes to America to be with his father, Windrider, from their home in the Middle Kingdom. As Moon Shadow and his father struggle to survive in a hostile country, they somehow find time to focus on their dreams. Windrider has read about the flying machine the Wright brothers built and believes he can build a better one and fly. Moon Shadow struggles alongside his father as they both build their dream and work to survive both natural and man-made disasters. Dragonwings is a novel of the Asian community of the early 1900s and the spirit that kept them from giving up their dreams.