The protagonist is Moon Shadow Lee , or in the Chinese order , Lee Moon Shadow . Moon Shadow grew up in China , having never seen his father , who had traveled to " The Golden Mountain " in America and worked hard in a family laundry which served the " white demons " ( Americans ) . When Moon Shadow is nine ( eight in American calculation ) , a distant relative , Hand Clap , returns to China for a visit and when Hand Clap returns to the United States , Moon Shadow goes with him . Moon Shadow is soon reunited with his father and receives a few wonderful gifts from his father , uncle , and new friend . From his uncle he receives a pair of new black leather boots . From his new friend he receives some trousers and a shirt . Finally , he receives a beautiful kite from his father , for whom kite making is a specialty . Moon Shadow found out that Windrider , his father , had a dream of a great dragon king . Windrider had found out he was a dragon in his former life and was determined to be worthy enough to again become a dragon . Moon Shadow supported and encouraged Windrider , even as they suffered hardships like the Great Earthquake , their poverty , and the gap between the Tang and white demons ( Americans ) . He goes through situations with family and has to find his place in life . Part of the story is based on an actual event that took place in 1909 involving a young Chinese flier named Fung Joe Guey
Great Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Dragonwings