false 1103 35 In a remote Hunan county in 19th century China, a seven-year-old girl is paired with a laotong or "old same," an emotional match to last a lifetime. The story concerns, among other things, nu shu (a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men) and footbinding. In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, old same, in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she's painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. In China during the 1900's the women were still being foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion. In remote Hunan county the women developed thier own secret code for communication: nu shu (women's writing). Some girls were paired with laotongs, (penpals). They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. 1453585 book 2005 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel total:29482|5:8600|4:13018|3:6118|2:1240|1:271| 29482 117142 38466 5761 4 18 false false Wed Jul 02 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 18 17:02:34 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 03 08:54:41 -0700 2008
I had a complete mi...more...]]> 5 15 false false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Jun 20 12:52:13 -0700 2007 Wed Apr 16 09:55:25 -0700 2008 An Excellent Choice for Book Clubs

I had a hard time putting down this book and felt utterly transported to a village in the Hunan province in central south China during the early to mid-nineteenth century. The narrator, 80-year-old Lily, who refers to herself as one who has "yet to...more...]]> 3 12 false false Tue Mar 11 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 11 14:43:08 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 20 07:54:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 11 false false Wed May 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Feb 23 17:54:33 -0800 2008 Wed May 07 21:09:25 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 9 false false Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Wed Jun 11 12:35:56 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 12 09:20:44 -0700 2008 ...more...]]> 5 7 false true Tue Jan 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 26 10:21:57 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 05 17:05:30 -0800 2008
OK-Here is my review: This is a fascinating, well researched book about the lives of two girls who grew up in China in the 19th cent...more...]]> 3 7 false false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Jun 14 13:05:48 -0700 2007 Thu Jun 14 13:13:41 -0700 2007
I would have to say that this book did not. I found it difficult to get in...more...]]> 4 4 false false Mon Aug 04 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 20 16:22:38 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 06 10:44:12 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 5 false false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Apr 11 17:07:28 -0700 2007 Fri Apr 27 23:46:26 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 3 true false Tue Jul 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 30 06:48:19 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 08 14:20:28 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 2 false true Wed May 21 22:53:24 -0700 2008 Wed May 21 23:09:48 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 2 false false Sat Jul 12 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 21 14:38:40 -0700 2008 Wed Jan 07 10:43:26 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 4 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Apr 15 10:23:12 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 15 14:17:12 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 2 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 07 08:14:58 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 16 09:56:34 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 3 false false Wed Apr 09 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 11:56:19 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 09 14:23:19 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 2 false true Mon Feb 25 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Mar 24 11:34:02 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 24 12:05:20 -0700 2008
Although this novel was set in Ancient China, for me, themes resonated with current events in my life.

While I do have a car and can go out anytime I wish, I can al...more...]]> 2 2 false false Tue Apr 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 24 09:31:37 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 29 10:22:52 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 3 false false Tue Aug 07 12:03:24 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 20 12:40:13 -0700 2008
i can't read about foot binding anymore. it literally makes me sick to my stomach. this is mostly due to a 15 minute video displayed twice every hour in a small missionary museum in new mexico.

the sole purpose of this museum, for reasons i still...more...]]> 5 2 false false Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Thu Jul 12 02:38:49 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 12 02:44:56 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 2 false false Mon Nov 03 08:21:27 -0800 2008 Tue Sep 23 17:18:45 -0700 2008 Mon Nov 03 08:21:27 -0800 2008 more...]]>