Where and when doe this story take place? What is the geographic location and the time period the story is set within?

The Joy Luck Club has two main settings. The mothers' stories take place during the years just before the advent of World War II in China, before and during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The daughters' stories, on the other hand, primarily take place in modern day San Francisco. Note, June also visits contemporary China in the conclusion.