Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Ratings51
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings51
Average rating3.8
Lily is the daughter of a humble farmer in Yongming County, and to her family is just another mouth to feed until she can be married off. But when she is six years old she is brought before the ambitious local matchmaker who delivers some startling news: Lily is no ordinary girl. If they are bound properly, her feet will be flawless. In nineteenth-century China, where a woman's eligibility is judged by the shape and size of her feet, this is extraordinarily good luck. Lily now has the power to make a good marriage and change the fortunes of her family.But first she must undergo the agonies of footbinding, learn nu shu, the famed secret women's writing, and make a very special friend. A girl will be chosen as her 'old-same' which is a relationship almost akin to marriage and treated with as much seriousness.Her 'old-same', Snow Flower, is a wonder to Lily. She comes from a refined family and is elegant, educated, but cannot suppress her adventurous streak. Even though their worlds are far apart and they rarely see one another, the two girls develop a deep bond through their letters written in nu shu which they paint on fans and embroider on handkerchiefs. As the years go by, Lily and Snow Flower share the burden of being born female in feudal China and find comfort in their friendship until they come of age to be married. But a bitter reversal of fortune is about to change everything.Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a story of two extraordinary women surviving in a time of strict rules and ancient customs. With the eye of a historian and the vibrancy of a true storyteller, Lisa See has written a truly mesmerizing novel filled with colour, fascinating detail and heartfelt drama.
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Reviews with the most likes.
I read this through the haze of sleep deprivation and baby blues that comes with the first two weeks of being a new mom. As such, I found the book both profoundly moving, and palpably, viscerally almost unbearably sad. See is very evocative – I usually do very poorly with historical fiction, especially set in an era about which I had little a priori knowledge, but I found myself very invested in the characters.
So, I'm going to attempt to give my thoughts on this book, but I honestly am still processing all I read, so I probably won't do it justice...
This book affected me deeply, and I couldn't put it down. There are some books that instantly take you in. Instead of reading and turning pages, you are living with the characters, taking in the world with them, thinking like them, being them. And then that book becomes a part of you, and when you are finished, it remains. This was one of those books for me.
I learned so much about the Chinese culture of this time period from this book, and I found it completely fascinating, even though a lot of it was appalling. Let's just say, I am very grateful I didn't grow up a Chinese women during this time! This has definitely spurred an interest in learning more about the Chinese way of life, thinking, history, culture, etc.
But the picture this book painted of what true friendship is, how different levels of friendship are affected by the different stages of life, and the unique friendships women need to feel complete and fulfilled was probably the thing that stuck with me the most. It gave me much to contemplate in my own life.
And isn't that what the very best stories do?
The writing was beautiful, I loved the setting. The main character was equal parts inspiring and infuriating. Another reminder of the importance of communication with your loved ones. Incidentally, I'm not sure several weeks of devoted care is enough to erase decades of mistreatment and callousness. Even in the end, it felt like everything she did was to make herself feel better, and not to benefit Snow Flower.
I would not have read this book if I wasn't doing a reading challenge and had to read a book about a different culture. Certainly was an eye opener - especially regarding the foot binding which is now illegal.
