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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

by Lisa See (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 156,140 ratings · 12,193 reviews

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, an “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 written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate i...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published May 26th 2009 by Random House Trade Paperbacks (first published February 2005)

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Nov 18, 2012 Petra X rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crap-authors-and-books-i-loathed, fiction

I tried to read it. It was so non-compelling, who were these little mice of women, what were they up to, why should I care? MAKE ME CARE. The plot didn't, the characters didn't and so I couldn't get past about page 50. My mind kept drifting off and by the time I was conscious of reading again I wouldn't know what had happened so I had to reread it again and again up unto the fourth rereading of the same pages. (Exactly the same experience I had with Rushdie's Satanic Verses). So I gave up.

I tho...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Cassy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-own, 2011, fiction-historical, region-asia, event-met-author

My grandmother used to say that my big feet meant I had a “good foundation”. I’d stare longingly at her size-six feet when she said this and curse my genetic inheritance from elsewhere in the family tree. Then I had an ex-boyfriend make the infuriating statement that rich women have small feet. I pointed out that his celebrity crush, Paris Hilton (yeah, another reason I dumped him) has huge size-eleven feet. My teenage-self took a lot of comfort in the fact that foot size is pre-ordained and unc...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Jeana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Susannah

Recommended to Jeana by: Susannah

Shelves: my-favorite-books, favorites

Wow. I just finished this book and wanted to come write about it immediately so I don't forget how it made me feel. First off, the language is beautiful and so fitting for the context. The two girls--Snow Flower and Lily--have a friendship that is beautiful and is fun to pick out little pieces from my own childhood/current friendships that I recognize and adore.

My next thoughts are not necessarily critiques of the book, but of the way the Chinese thought: I had a real problem with hearing over...more Wow. I just finished this book and wanted to come write about it immediately so I don't forget how it made me feel. First off, the language is beautiful and so fitting for the context. The two girls--Snow Flower and Lily--have a friendship that is beautiful and is fun to pick out little pieces from my own childhood/current friendships that I recognize and adore.

My next thoughts are not necessarily critiques of the book, but of the way the Chinese thought: I had a real problem with hearing over and over how worthless a woman is if she cannot produce a son. If that were still the case, I would be as worthless as they come. It bothered me that daughters were considered better off if they died than to live. And I thought Lily perpetuated that as unfeeling as the patriarchs who instilled that thought process to begin with.

And don't get me started on footbinding. I know this is a cultural thing that I cannot begin to comprehend (such as people who still practice polygamy, I realize they see it happening in their families and think that is just the way life is, but still, how could they not think this through?) I mean, one of of ten girls died from footbinding. And not only does it make the foot look grotesque (which they thought was beautiful) but they were practically crippled for the rest of their lives. They had to be carried most distances after the age of six. It's simply ridiculous.

But reading this book made me want to learn to embroider. I know it sounds ridiculous but I was actually looking for embroidery classes in the area where I could learn how to do it. And I want to do it with my daughter. The visual of these women embroidering together. It's just beautiful.

There were so many beautiful quotes that I thought I'd list my favorites:

This thought is a real comfort to me: "Everyone knows that part of the spirit descends to the afterworld, while part of it remains with the family, but we have a special belief about the spirit of a young woman who has died before her marriage that goes contrary to this. She comes back to prey upon other unmarried girls--not to scare them but to take them to the afterworld with her so she might have company."

This is particarly interesting to me because after my daughter died, Biance would tell me about going to heaven with Miranda every night while she dreamed.

Another quote I liked about teachers:
"The classics tell us that, in relationships, the one between teacher and student comes second only to the one between parent and child."

The last one is a bit lengthy, but I like it nonetheless:
"If it is perfectly acceptable for a widow to disfigure herself or commit suicide to save face for her husband's family, why should a mother not be moved to extreme action by the loss of a child or children? We are their caretakers. We love them. We nurse them when they are sick. . . But no woman should live longer than her children. It is against the law of nature. If she does, why wouldn't she wish to leap from a cliff, hang from a branch, or swallow lye?"

Overall, this was a sad, beautiful book.(less)

87 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2011 Erika rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: fiction

I had high hopes for this book, but ended up feeling deflated and disappointed. Two aspects of the book were interesting: descriptions of the practice of Chinese footbinding, and an exploration of 'nu shu,' the written language Chinese women developed to communicate exclusively with each other.

Unfortunately, the book also has two major problems: a boring story, and the use of cheap gimmicks instead of complex characterization.

The story deals with two girls who are matched as 'old sames,' sort...more

63 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2008 Michele rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 die," tells the story of her life. She has outlived her family members and relates the story of her formative years--and her relationship with another woman, Snow Flower. This well written tale is related with clarity...more

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Jul 03, 2008 Lisa Vegan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those interested in women in 19th century rural China or who enjoy learning about other cultures

Shelves: fiction, bookclub, reviewed, gr-author, novel, historical-fiction, altta

I ended up enjoying this book because it was so beautifully written and it took me deep into a world so unlike my own; thank goodness for that! This story takes place in China’s Hunan Province in the 1800s and is more about the inner lives of the women than the men.

I had a complete misconception of what foot binding entailed. It’s completely different, and so much more brutal a practice than I ever could have imagined. There were also many examples given of what I consider other horrendous cust...more I ended up enjoying this book because it was so beautifully written and it took me deep into a world so unlike my own; thank goodness for that! This story takes place in China’s Hunan Province in the 1800s and is more about the inner lives of the women than the men.

I had a complete misconception of what foot binding entailed. It’s completely different, and so much more brutal a practice than I ever could have imagined. There were also many examples given of what I consider other horrendous customs and beliefs. I’ve always believed that tradition and culture that harms is not worth preserving and reading about these people’s lives was a painful experience. The story is fiction but well researched so I’m assuming there was much truth about how women led their lives in that time and place.

I was able to feel some empathy for the storywriter, because I could understand her longing to be loved and the difficulties she had in her upbringing that formed her personality, even though I sometimes had a hard time liking her and many of the characters. I was also irritated by so much of the book. I loathe stories where there’s a horrible miscommunication or misunderstanding that seems so unnecessary, and there’s an example of that here. Also, throughout the book, the narrator is writing the story of her life for another/others in her culture to read, yet the whole time I felt she was educating us in our time & places. So frequently the line “as you know” or “as everyone knows” is used to start a sentence, and I just kept thinking that if everyone knows it the narrator wouldn’t need to say it in that way. The narrator also most of the way through the book alludes to something she’s going to tell the reader and it got to the point where, instead of following along with the story, I just wanted to see what she was going to reveal.

I think that it’s worth it to read the paperback copy because of Lisa See’s notes at the end about the writing of this book,. Perhaps they were there in the hardcover version as well, but often additions such as this aren’t there at publication of the hardcover edition. Also, the paperback has some discussion questions at the end which might come in handy as I read this book for my book club.

The plot & characters did make me think about however women are regarded and what is considered beautiful in various cultures, including our own, can powerfully influence women’s lives. And they also highlight how our various expectations of ourselves and others imposed by our societies can influence human beings. It also made me think a lot about the corrosive power of unresolved anger and trauma.
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Mar 20, 2008 Garnette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-now

My book club was more interested in talking about their trips to China than See's book. So I am happy for Good Reads. While I found the writing journalistic: that is competent, extremely well researched, fast paced, page-turning, I cannot truly say it was well written. No phrase or passage noteworthy for its beauty or addition to literature. I was fascinated, however, by the potential for beautiful prose but lists just don't do that for me. The publisher's missed an opportunity to replicate the...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: asia, historical-fiction

I actually wavered between giving this book a rating of 3 or 4 stars. This is not because Lisa See was unable to portray the life in this feudal Chinese society well, because much of this was vivid and interesting. The oppression of women, including the horrors of footbinding, isolation and servitude to men and one's in-laws were all clearly and often dismayingly illustrated.

One problem with this novel is how much better the tale could have been related if written in the third person, rather tha...more

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Jun 14, 2007 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Ever since reading Memoirs of a Geisha, I've been looking for a book that will let me relive that excitement. So I was hoping that Snow Flower and the Secret Fan would fit the bill for my craving for Asian drama :)

I would have to say that this book did not. I found it difficult to get invested in the characters who seemed somewhat flat to me. The narrator wasn't engaging enough to make me feel a connection to her. Really, the strength of the book in my opinion was the detail it spent in developi...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"A woman will never become valuable if she doesn't leave her village," Mama cried out. "Goodbye, Mama," I chanted back to her. "Thank you for raising a worthless daughter." "Goodbye daughter," Baba said softly.<--- Trust me, I totally LOLed :P

Rating: 3.5

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN started pretty strong for me. Our protagonist is now a old lady. Reminiscing, tired and full of regret. It made me instantly weary. You see, anyone who is that guilty and ashamed can only mean one thing. You roya...more "A woman will never become valuable if she doesn't leave her village," Mama cried out. "Goodbye, Mama," I chanted back to her. "Thank you for raising a worthless daughter." "Goodbye daughter," Baba said softly.<--- Trust me, I totally LOLed :P

Rating: 3.5

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN started pretty strong for me. Our protagonist is now a old lady. Reminiscing, tired and full of regret. It made me instantly weary. You see, anyone who is that guilty and ashamed can only mean one thing. You royally fucked up. And I, for one, wasn't sure if I was ready to read a book that was definitely going to make me hate the woman. But temped I was, as well as curious so I went for it. Good thing I did. I learned a thing or two about the culture, although you do get the feeling - definitely during the more intimate moments - that you're intruding.

As Lily takes us back to her younger years, we see an obedient and keen to please daughter who wants more than anything for her mother to love her. But it seems that her mother is just as determined to not do so. Don't feel too sorry for her, though. Let's just say that the girl knows how to hold a grudge. Furthermore, she will go through the excruciating process of footbinding where her feet will be shaped a certain way that is deemed beautiful. This is important since it is the gateway into marrying into a good home. On the flip-side it includes broken bones and results in difficulty in walking for the rest of your life. Some do not even live through it.

What is to really change the course of her life is the moment she is promised to Snow Flower. Another child her age. They are to be 'sames' an emotional bond that lasts forever. This bond, in particular, will run deeper than any other. This match also introduces the language 'nu shu'. A secret language known only among women - which I found absolutely fascinating. The two for many years will use it to write to one another and leave messages on a particular fan that they have held dear since childhood.

I have to say, the middle of the book I struggled with. I even contemplated leaving the book for a while and coming back to it another time. Yet I resisted and I'm glad. You know, many that these two girls hold dear pass away. Yet I never really mourned or felt their loss, and I'm not sure what to make of that. Our protagonist, Lily, is another to brood over. She will go through so much. But on the flip-side, it's what she goes through that will shape her into the wise women that is introduced to us in the first few pages. I guess the fact that she accepts her faults is a start, but it doesn't help lessen my frustration towards her throughout the book. She does some shitty things. Thing is? As her status grows, so does her ignorance, insensitivity and pride. And towards the end - no mater how much she regretted - I just didn't care for her by then. I didn't like her, but I did come to the conclusion that a part of me could respect her for all that she had endured and done in order to repent.

They lived in a time where everything is so male-dominated. Where their culture expects women to be quiet, polite and obedient to their men. Where bearing a son is of utmost importance and a daughter a curse. I mean, everything in centred around making the husband feel like a king, if not the husband then the father, if not the father then the son. The thing is that these girls are brought up with these values, so most don't even question them which is probably the sad part. But this is something that is a part of many cultures out there, that is still out there. It's not alien to me, in fact, it's something that my mother grew up with and something that I'm sure her mother grew up with. This circle, to be honest, has only broken with me. So yes, I'm aware of the implications of this way of thinking, and the way it affects you growing up with it. But interestingly enough - if you pay attention, some women do fight back in their own way in the novel. With their wit :)

I wasn't as emotionally invested as I would have liked to have been, and the book did go on the verge of boring halfway through, but overall I quite enjoyed it. What made it worthwhile overall was not only learning about their customs but the bitter-sweet friendship that Lilly and Snow Flower shared.
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Apr 15, 2008 Soledad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Have you ever wanted to know how it would have been if you would have lived in another time, like the Roaring Twenties, or ancient Egypt or Rome? Well the book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, took me to 19th century China. I felt like I had lived with Lily and experience her hardships, like her foot binding. This book made me realize how lucky I am to have been born in the 20th century, and to the culture I was born in. Everything that Lily and Snow Flower experience makes this book...more Have you ever wanted to know how it would have been if you would have lived in another time, like the Roaring Twenties, or ancient Egypt or Rome? Well the book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, took me to 19th century China. I felt like I had lived with Lily and experience her hardships, like her foot binding. This book made me realize how lucky I am to have been born in the 20th century, and to the culture I was born in. Everything that Lily and Snow Flower experience makes this book one of the best books I have read in the past couple of years. There way of life, what was expected of them, having no choice in their future, it amazes me to know that similar situations still happen in 2008. Anyway, this book tells of the story of how two people can become one, and how human mistakes can change people’s lives. Lisa See brings to life a world that has long been gone, the landscape and food of 19th century China are reborn in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. The setting of the book, and the imagery all add to the emotional rollercoaster you experience in this book. You also get a first hand understanding of the culture Lily and Snow Flower grow up in. The only thing that these women were expected to do was learn to cook and clean, obey their mother, father and older brothers. They were also expected to marry, with a guy that the family thought would be proper. They were also expected to get their ‘foot binding’ when they were six years old. They had no free will, and were not encouraged to think about anything other than caring for the home, children, and satisfying their husband. Lily and Snow Flower were lucky to be laotong, or “old same.” Lily and Snow Flower also had the privilege to learn the language that had been made by women for women in Chain, a way to communicate with each other without the men knowing what was being said. The language was known as nu sh. Lily and Snow Flower are destined to be friends, but they become sister, and as we know sisters have fights, but for Lily her ignorance leads to her to become prideful. But if you wish to know more about the life of Lily and Snow Flower you must read this book, it will make you smile and cry, but it will give you a sample of the incredible life of women in 19th century China.(less)

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Jan 11, 2012 Penny marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Does Oprah still have a book club? Is it secretly running underground? Is the first rule Don't Talk About Book Club? I mean, how else would every woman my age know about this book? It seems as though all my GR friends over the age of thirty, many of which are lucky to finish 12 books a year, have read or plan on reading it. I just heard about Snow Flower and the Secret Fan's existence yesterday. This is odd because, regardless of what genres I prefer to read, I'm usually up to date on what's the...more Does Oprah still have a book club? Is it secretly running underground? Is the first rule Don't Talk About Book Club? I mean, how else would every woman my age know about this book? It seems as though all my GR friends over the age of thirty, many of which are lucky to finish 12 books a year, have read or plan on reading it. I just heard about Snow Flower and the Secret Fan's existence yesterday. This is odd because, regardless of what genres I prefer to read, I'm usually up to date on what's the newest hottest thing in the literary world.

That said, I tend to avoid this sort of literature like the plague, so it's no surprise that I likely walked past it countless times without taking a second glance. I mean, just look at the cover. It's bland as a bowl of plain oatmeal. Granted there are flowers on it, but I don't even like flowers all that much, or Chinese fans. Based on the title I can tell it's the sort of historical fiction that is chalk-full of horrors to woman-kind. The sort of writing rife with Emotional Porn. You know, the kind that will force you to collapse on the ground, snotting and sobbing and crying out for your momma.

*rolls eyes* The thing is, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is the sort of thing I should want to read. I mean, I am a woman. I am over thirty. Statistically speaking it should be my bread and butter.

But it's not. It's totally not.

I've always known I was different, and not in a quirky, adorable way. Different because I snarl in the face of convention without even meaning to. I don't fit the mold. It's like I belong on the Island of Misfit ~~Toys~~ Women.

Whatever. I'll read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I'll do it because I'm sick of being the only person in the room that doesn't know all about whatever ~~crappy~~ new book all the Dignified Women are reading, especially when I'm the most well-read of the bunch. But if it contains something along the lines of 'You is kind, you is smart, you is important' all bets are off.

P.S. I'm willing to bet Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is nowhere near inspiring as Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. (less)

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Feb 05, 2008 Michele rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I just finished this book today. I can't recommend this book highly enough. I need to spend a day or two reflecting on the story to complete this review!

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 century during a time when women were not respected or cherished, and painful footbinding was part of their growing up years. The book is well researched and gives compelling insight into Chinese culture, including supe...more I just finished this book today. I can't recommend this book highly enough. I need to spend a day or two reflecting on the story to complete this review!

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 century during a time when women were not respected or cherished, and painful footbinding was part of their growing up years. The book is well researched and gives compelling insight into Chinese culture, including superstitions, values and beliefs during that time. The book gave a remarkable account of the childhoods and adulthoods of the two main characters, Lily and Snow Flower. You really need to read the book to capture the depth and complexities of their intimate and binding relationship. There were several surprises in this book that I wasn't prepared for at all and I won't go into detail about them. Maybe I didn't need to put a spoiler alert on for this review? I must say that one of the unexpected turns that took place was when Lily jumped to the wrong conclusion about a message she had from Snow Flower. OK, spoiler coming. Stop here if you don't want to know what happened. Lily mistook what Snow Flower said to her in a message. As a result, she was devestated, felt betrayed, and for her their friendship ended at that moment. Rather than engage in a dialog between her laotong, she emotionally shut herself off from the relationship. Snow Flower, who was unsure why Lily had cut her off, made attempts to communicate with her but, Lily felt too betrayed to respond or acknowlege these attempts. However, when Lily learned that Snow Flower was terminally ill, she went to be at her bedside and nurse her, never leaving her side. It was only after Snow Flower died that evidence turned up that Lily completely misinterpreted the devestating message from Snow Flower. So, Lily had to learn to deal with the guilt of the pain she caused Snow Flower with her painful rejection as well as the guilt she felt from a particular day when she verbally lashed out her angry feelings to Snow Flower saying words that she could never take back. The rest of the book, of course, is the story of how Lily goes on to honor her "old same" Snow Flower and make up her mistakes by embracing the future of grandchild so she would have a better future. This is my favorite book of all time! Highly recommended!(less)

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Apr 27, 2007 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Women

Being thousands of miles away from my closest female friends, I sometimes forget just how much I love them, and what it's like to share an intensely close friendship with another woman. "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" resurfaced those feelings for me, and reminded me of the complexity of human relationships.

At the beginning of the novel, I found myself immediately immersed in Lily's world. I didn't want to put the book down. I thought the author did a wonderful job weaving in descriptions of th...more

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Aug 06, 2008 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Every once in a while after finishing a book I am reluctant to pick up another one. I need to spend a few days thinking and picking apart the book processing new things learned, deciding how it fits in with my world view, admiring prose, and analyzing if I really "believe" the story and accept the author's conclusions. This book had all of that.

New things: nu shu a secret written language of women a thousand years old. And foot binding, I was horribly fascinated and oddly touched. Picturing mys...more

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Oct 20, 2008 Erin added it · review of another edition

uuughughghghghg ugh ugh ugh.

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 can't
explain, was to display unusual world practices encountered by missionaries around the globe, throughout history. my parents, wishing to enliven and culture my young and spongelike brain, (and also having nothing else t...more uuughughghghghg ugh ugh ugh.

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 can't
explain, was to display unusual world practices encountered by missionaries around the globe, throughout history. my parents, wishing to enliven and culture my young and spongelike brain, (and also having nothing else to entertain me with as the entire state of new mexico is boring as all get out to drive through and so damn hot you can't even sit on the grass at the rest stops) set me free in this twisted little house for 2 hours when i was eight.

it was full of fun things, like pictures of kayan woman proudly displaying their neck rings, and the perfume pouches french royalty wore to ward off fleas and lice, and examples of poisoned darts that papa new guinea tribes used to hunt down white explorers in the 1700's... yay!

And it also had this little dark room, with cute little chairs just my size, and teensy little brocade shoes just outside the entrance. and everybody loves teensy shoes, people. do you blame me for being fascinated?

the guy in the video, however, scary. he was fat, balding, and holding a little model of a foot's skeleton just the size of my own. he used this to show how a woman's foot would be wrapped in anceint china, to press the ball of the foot towards the heel. and then he actually pressed. slowly. until the bones snapped and the ball and heel were touching.

and then someone in the production process must have decided this wasn't realistic enough, so they had this cute little asian-girl actress come out and demonstrate, through blurry lens shots and muted screams, what this procedure might have felt like. when they found me later i was hypnotized, sitting with my feet tucked under my butt clutching the toes of my tennis shoes.

now, like many of you goodreads devotees, i had an overactive imagination as a child. i spent a good deal of time after that experience imaging what i would do if i grew up in that time period. you know, how i would escape. because of course i had to escape. can you imagine what that would feel like? but people would find me! and hold me down! or the emperor would catch me and chop off my head! there was no escape! lots of girls would have to do it! or did it! augh! it must have been HORRIBLE for them! HORRIBLE! AUGHHH!

...consequently, i decided that to make myself feel better about the 50 majillion little asian girls a long time ago, i would just pretend that foot binding never happened. just, like, stick to american girl novels and the occasional "dear america" journal (medieval europe only though) till i was 12. or, you know, longer. and that's worked out pretty good for me, until this book.

ms. see does a pretty amazing job resurrecting all those horribly emphatic feelings. her characters are fleshed out so well that it's hard not to see and feel through them. and even though the story is beautiful, there's a lot of history in there to see and feel. This is not like "Sex and the Zhejiang Province", or those awesome soap operas out of Shanghai recently where everybody runs around an ancient chinese palace set waving fans and giggling and pouring tea and crying and having babies and being banished and what not.

Every main character in "Snow Flower" pretty much gets crapped upon continuously throughout their lives until they get too old to negotiate their way higher on the social food chain and just sit back and let their grandkids take care of them. Or you know, die. (NOT A SPOILER! Don't even try.)

which is basically awesome. definitely my kind of realistic, historical novel. i'm just warning everybody... don't wiki it. don't. you don't need to see the x-rays. because they're gonna stick with you, in tiny little grotesque foot nightmares. and you'll be stuck, for the rest of the book, pretending foot binding means everyone got to wear pretty tube socks in bright colors.(less)

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Feb 17, 2013 Rowena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: asia, chinese-lit, own, bookclub-reads

This has got to be one of the most beautiful, yet heartbreaking books that I have ever read. The subject matter is horrific but the story is truly engaging.

The main storyline in this book is about the horrible patriarchal practise, foot-binding, that took place in China in the past. The graphic descriptions in this book are certain to turn anyone’s stomach. I would like to know who decided that 7 centimetre-long feet were “sexy.” The obsession with feet truly perplexed me; how could young girls...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Moses Kilolo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brilliant. A spectacular book.

I haven’t read anything this deeply affecting for quite a while {at least on the level of love and relationships}. I was hooked from the beginning. And the grace and depth of Lisa See’s storytelling had me contemplating about life and the deeds and the choices we make concerning our own lives, those that are made on our behalf and how all these affects those who we most cherish. Fate. Is it something nature, or us, or others, or some higher power design for us? Is i...more Brilliant. A spectacular book.

I haven’t read anything this deeply affecting for quite a while {at least on the level of love and relationships}. I was hooked from the beginning. And the grace and depth of Lisa See’s storytelling had me contemplating about life and the deeds and the choices we make concerning our own lives, those that are made on our behalf and how all these affects those who we most cherish. Fate. Is it something nature, or us, or others, or some higher power design for us? Is it really predestined, as these girls were made to believe?

Ever since that first message that Snow Flower send little Lily, when they were just children, the stage was set for what was meant to be a lifetime of friendship. As events unfold, as life happens, an absolutely heartbreaking and unforgettable story is woven. It also reminded me of Adichie’s the danger of a single story – given that I recently read The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, where I was first introduced to the Chinese practice of foot binding. From what I’ve gathered from this book, it loosely equates to Female Genital Mutilation, which until recently has been widely practiced here in Africa. And what a cruel thing it is – girls so young stand the risk of actually dying in the process, like happened to Lily’s sister. Lisa, however, goes beyond this, which she has offered in an heartfelt detail, to other aspects of the Chinese culture – especially those that of concern to women.

Quite fascinating is the issue of nu shu, one of the central themes, which is described as the women’s secret writing. Under all that isolation and oppression that these women suffered, it is a wonderful thing that they invented a secret code/language/writting in which they could communicate in secret, offer and share comfort.

Lisa See’s narrative is beautiful, and from the writing itself you may discern a depth that arises not only from research and writing talent, but from the heart of a writer who knows the matters of the heart. From her’s to all others that will come across this wonderfully crafted, deeply felt work of fiction.

It is an amazing lesson on friendship too, and of course – that deep heart love.

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Jul 08, 2008 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mindi, Corinne, Marika

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction

A gem of a book, an incredible tale of friendship and what it means to be a woman. This is the story of Lily, who at eighty years and known as "one who has not yet died", sets out to tell about her life, and most importantly, her connection with her friend Snow Flower. At the age of seven she and Snow Flower are paired in an emotional match that will last a lifetime, called a laotong, or "old same." They learn to communicate through a secret language created by Chinese women called nu shu, shari...more

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May 21, 2008 Bobby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Lisa Vegan Bobby, Yes, This should make for a great discussion at our next book club meeting. I agree with much, not quite all, of what you said. And I have a lo...more
Jul 02, 2008 11:17pm

Rachel Lisa, after reading Bobby's review (which I never read before because it said it has spoilers) ... I better understand what bothered you about the end...more
updated Jul 12, 2008 07:09pm

Lisa Vegan Rachel,

I think in my review of this book I did say that I could understand and empathize with her because of her upbringing and personality.

And I perf...more
updated Jul 12, 2008 07:20pm

Jan 07, 2009 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those wanting a fast, emotionally rich read about friendships/culture/women in rural 1800s China

Shelves: for-gifts, stacy-tanner-thomas

A truly gripping tale about women living in rural China in the mid- to late 1800s. The author is wonderful at drawing the reader into this foreign landscape and culture and making you feel for the women in the story. The story is narrated by a woman at the end of her life. She's basically telling the life stories of herself and her soul-mate. As such, she sprinkles the story with little hints about what is to come later, without actually telling us how this will come to be. This built a lot of s...more A truly gripping tale about women living in rural China in the mid- to late 1800s. The author is wonderful at drawing the reader into this foreign landscape and culture and making you feel for the women in the story. The story is narrated by a woman at the end of her life. She's basically telling the life stories of herself and her soul-mate. As such, she sprinkles the story with little hints about what is to come later, without actually telling us how this will come to be. This built a lot of suspense and raised a lot of questions in my mind as I was reading. I never felt a dull moment in the entire book. I was always deeply concerned for the characters and wondering what would become of them ... when they cried, my eyes got misty; when they were happy, my heart felt joy. I kept taking advantages of little bits of time here and there to read a few more pages and find out what would happen next. For me, these are all signs of a very good book!!!!

I just finished reading "What is the What" a couple days ago as well. Finishing them at the same time got me thinking. I think Lily's and Snow Flower's life stories are just as worthwhile reading about, in concept, as Achak Deng's ... the girls had to trek all over the place and survive starvation in the cold winter, and experienced many sorrows, disease, and war .... all in BOUND FEET. And when it comes to bad luck stories, I'd say Achak ain't got nothin' on Snow Flower. Both books took place mainly in countries with customs/culture very different from my own. In each book, I'd say I learned equal amounts about the sorrows and history of the Dinka people in Sudan in the 1980s/90s and the Yao people in China in the 1800s. And both are supposed to be works of fiction, based on true stories of real people and historic events. Happily, Lisa See's book drew me in and made me love the characters ... I cried for them, learned a lot, and felt deeply moved by the experience. Meanwhile, I contemplate Dave Eggers' book of FICTION, based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng. With Dave Eggers' book, I had to read an extra 300 pages and never felt like I understood or had "gotten to know" most of the characters in the book, including Achak. I got a better feel for the man by reading the info and viewing the pictures on his web site (www.valentinoachakdeng.org)

Viewed side by side, you can clearly see how "What is the What" sinks miserably in that famous Sudanese mud, while "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" (to use a prominent word from Lisa See's book) soars.
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view all 5 comments

Rachel One more thing I forgot to bring up in my review of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan ...

Where did that whole vegetarianism subplot come from? Lisa and I...more
updated Sep 17, 2008 05:34pm

Lisa Vegan Rachel, Well, I don't think it's any different that today. Most people let other people kill & grow their food for them. The nice aseptic packages...more
Sep 17, 2008 08:47pm

Apr 16, 2008 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tonya by: book club

Well, I am grateful for my big, sloppy feet. That about sums it up. Actually I am torn about how I feel about this book. I thought the story was very powerful and interesting. The art of footbinding intrigued me. Interesting how that was considered beautiful in China. I truly felt sadness for these women who had to endure so many hardships so they could become marriageable and have those perfect golden lillies. I loved the story of friendship between Lily and Snow Flower though sometimes I found...more

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Apr 09, 2008 Morgan added it · review of another edition Recommends it for: those with strong stomachs

Recommended to Morgan by: Lisa

Okay, I didn't finish this book. I started, and was really excited. It had all the elements of a story I'd love: foreign setting, new cultures and customs, a strong female lead. However, after the 3rd chapter it was apparent I could go no further. The title of said chapter? "Footbinding".

Now, I didn't know much about footbinding. I still don't know a lot, but what I read in those few pages was not only enough to distress me, but almost make me physically nauesous. Really, I almost threw up from...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 24, 2008 Nichelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any home school mom/SAHM/WAHM, or history buff.

Recommended to Nichelle by: Book club suggestion

Shelves: book-club-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the first non-Christian, adult fiction book I have read in years. This book renewed my love for reading.

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 also relate to the "upper room." I am a home school mom and spend most of my day in an "upper room" homeschooling my children. In the evenings, I am at my desk in the same "upper room" working from home as a medical transcripti...more This is the first non-Christian, adult fiction book I have read in years. This book renewed my love for reading.

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 also relate to the "upper room." I am a home school mom and spend most of my day in an "upper room" homeschooling my children. In the evenings, I am at my desk in the same "upper room" working from home as a medical transcriptionist. If I am not careful to remember to schedule a lunch date with a friend or hit up some new model homes I have not explored yet, I (and my many friends who are home school moms) relegate ourselves to the inner chambers of our home, yes, even in second millennial America!

Even as footbinding was a way of securing their daughter's futures, home schooling is also an effort to lift our children's minds above our country's mediocre emphasis on the education of our children. They broke their daughter's bones and bound their feet. We break off perceived negative cultural influences and bind our children's minds with classical literature, Latin, and logic.

As a bereaved mother myself, there were other parts of this book that touched me personally as well. "Mother love" is eternal and transcendent. It can be harsh, but it is also desperate. The ceremony that takes place before the daughters marry out where they cry and sing and thank their mothers for raising a "worthless daughter" is touching because they are honest that they really do not consider their daughters to be "worthless" despite of what society thinks of them. Losing a daughter to death, marriage, or any other circumstance is always heartrending.

Lily, in many ways, reminded me of a close relative of mine. One misunderstood statement can produce a VERY long grudge. She answers hurts that she cannot relate to with stereotypical platitudes, "Just try harder." On the other hand, like Lily, when she perceived a gap in Spring Moon's life after the death of her mother, she went into overdrive trying to fill it, probably confusing the girl's reluctance to marriage as simply grief over Snowflower's passing. This close relative and another friend in my life sometimes work so hard at "helping" that they cannot actually see the real pain and end up adding to it.

Lisa See is a fascinating story teller. Nothing in this book was predictable and it always kept me on the edge of my seat.
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Apr 29, 2008 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Adults

Recommended to Heather by: Nancy

I bristled with each reference to the insignificance of women and girls. I was on edge for most of the book. It is a tragic story of Lily and her "old same", a friend from another village matched to her by a matchmaker. They are supposed to be friends forever. They communicated with one another through a secret language known only to some women in China developed to keep their thoughts secret from men. They passed these messages via the fan. It has some pretty disturbing passages and there is a...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2008 Myra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Tara

I just started this one last night, and I didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to finish it. :)

UPDATE:

Finished it, and I loved it. I've never read anything by Lisa See before, but I plan on reading more of her works.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is such a remarkable tale about frienship and love. It's set in nineteenth-century China, and offers quite a few historical and cultural lessons as well. Readers get to follow Lily and her laotong, Snow Flower, through childhood, their teen years,...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 12, 2007 Ferina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, myfavorite

Membaca buku ini, membuat saya bersyukur bahwa saya hidup di jaman ketika perempuan dihargai hak-hak dan pikirannya, didengarkan perasaan dan keinginannya. Snow Flower sedikit banyak memberi gambaran sebuah sejarah Cina di abad 19, ketika perempuan harus menjalani berbagai tradisi yang membatasi mereka sebagai manusia.

Lily, seorang anak perempuan dari keluarga miskin, dalam usia belia harus menjalani tradisi pengikatan kaki untuk mendapatkan bentuk kaki bunga lili yang sempurna. Kaki yang kecil...more Membaca buku ini, membuat saya bersyukur bahwa saya hidup di jaman ketika perempuan dihargai hak-hak dan pikirannya, didengarkan perasaan dan keinginannya. Snow Flower sedikit banyak memberi gambaran sebuah sejarah Cina di abad 19, ketika perempuan harus menjalani berbagai tradisi yang membatasi mereka sebagai manusia.

Lily, seorang anak perempuan dari keluarga miskin, dalam usia belia harus menjalani tradisi pengikatan kaki untuk mendapatkan bentuk kaki bunga lili yang sempurna. Kaki yang kecil mungil seperti bunga lili dipercaya akan membawa keberuntungan, bisa memikat laki-laki dan sangat berharga dibanding perempuan yang tidak menjalani tradisi pengikatan kaki, yang hanya disebut perempuan berkaki besar dan tidak akan dipilih menjadi seorang istri. Perempuan berkaki besar hanya akan menjadi seorang pelayan. Bahkan, seorang perempuan dengan bentuk kaki yang tidak sempurna, hanya akan menjadi seorang ‘menantu kecil’.

Ternyata, bentuk kaki yang sempurna dan memilik seorang laotong, akan meningkatkan ‘harga’ seorang perempuan untuk mendapatkan jodoh yang baik. Namun, tidak semua perempuan bisa mendapatkan bentuk bunga lili emas. Salah mengikat kaki, hanya akan membuat penderitaan anak perempuan semakin besar. Kesakitan, infeksi malah mendatangkan kematian, atau jika bertahan, kaki rusak - seperti kaki Mama Lily. Tapi, Mama Lily selalu berkata, “Hanya melalui rasa sakit kaudapatkan kecantikan. Hanya melalui penderitaan kaudapatkan kedamaian.” (Hal. 59)

Ketika seorang peramal datang ke rumah Lily - peramal diperlukan untuk menentukan kapan sebaiknya proses pengikatan kaki di mulai - ia melihat ada sesuatu yang istimewa dalam diri Lily. Maka dipanggillah seorang Mak Comblang, Madame Wang, untuk memastikan keistimewaan itu. Sebuah keputusan pun dibuat, Lily akan mendapatkan seorang laotong, kembaran sehati, seorang gadis cilik yang punya delapan sifat yang sama dengan Lily, yang menjalani pengikatan kaki di hari yang sama, yaitu Bunga Salju.

Bunga Salju berasal dari keluarga yang tingkatannya lebih tinggi dari Lily. Tapi, hal itu tidak membatasi persahabatan sehati mereka. Bersama Bunga Salju, Lily menjalani hari-hari bagaimana sakitnya di awal-awal pengikatan kaki, pergi ke Kuil Gupo setiap tahun, membordir dan menjahit di ruang duduk lantai atas, sama-sama menunggu datangnya perjodohan dan pernikahan, membuat mahar, dan yang paling penting saling berbagi rahasia hati melalui sebuah tulisan di kipas sutra, nu shu. Lewat nu shu, mereka saling mengungkapkan cerita, perasaan, kebahagiaan bahkan kesedihan.

Jawaban dari berbagai pertanyaan terungkap, mengapa hanya Bulan Salju yang berkunjung ke rumah Lily? mengapa Lily tidak diperkenankan datang ke rumah Bulan Salju? siapa sebenarnya Madame Wang? mengapa justru Lily, yang dari keluarga miskin mendapatkan jodoh yang terpandang? mengapa jodoh Bulan Salju hanya seorang tukang jagal?

Tapi, salah penafsiran membaca nu shu, membuat persahabatan mereka terputus. Kesombongan dan rasa egois membuat semuanya hancur. Bertahun-tahun mereka tidak saling berkirim kabar berita lagi, tidak saling mengunjungi dan malah menyimpan dendam di hati. Sampai akhirnya terungkap kebenaran, semua sudah terlambat, dan hanya tinggal penyesalan.

Di hari tua, Lily menuturkan kisah hidupnya, bagaimana cinta dan sayangnya ia kepada laotong-nya yang melebihi dari sebuah pernikahan.

Sebuah kisah yang indah, menggambarkan sebuah cinta. Bahasa-bahasa yang halus membuat kisah ini begitu ‘menyentuh’.(less)

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Oct 28, 2008 Khaya rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who want to sigh over a female friendship without thinking too critically

Shelves: historicalfiction, chinajapan, thank-god-i-wasn-t-born-there, chicklit, maybe-it-s-me

My review from Amazon (back in the days before I discovered goodreads!) -- I read this several years ago, but felt compelled to start a literary argument with my sister when I heard she actually liked this book. ;)

"The Secret Life of Bees" meets "Women of the Silk"

I'm getting a little tired of the "female friendship" genre that seems to pervade contemporary literature these days. While there are some better-written examples of this category, many of them seem to be written with the agenda of ext...more My review from Amazon (back in the days before I discovered goodreads!) -- I read this several years ago, but felt compelled to start a literary argument with my sister when I heard she actually liked this book. ;)

"The Secret Life of Bees" meets "Women of the Silk"

I'm getting a little tired of the "female friendship" genre that seems to pervade contemporary literature these days. While there are some better-written examples of this category, many of them seem to be written with the agenda of extolling the virtues and possibilities of close female friendship, perhaps as an alternative to traditional romance novels. Often, I feel that these authors are so anxious to idealize the close bond between two women that they spend less time actually allowing this bond to develop in a convincing way. Their characters remain underdeveloped as well, leaving the reader with an overdone, unconvincing, and ultimately shallow story line.

This book is no exception. The writing is not bad, and the historical/cultural context lends some interest to what would otherwise be a truly boring novel. However, the characters were hollow and their friendship, and subsequent estrangement, left me cold. I was so unenamored that I found myself wondering at the authenticity of the historical setting -- how accepted were these ritualized female friendships, and did they really take precedence over the marital bond at times (e.g., a wife sharing a bed with her visiting sworn sister as opposed to her husband)? I don't claim to be an expert on this period of Chinese history, but it seemed inconsistent with the little I know of the inferior status of women at this time and place. Given the author's general agenda, I couldn't help but wonder how many of the contextual details she colored in order to serve her purpose. Perhaps this may be excused by poetic license, but if it had been a better book, I would probably not be engaging in this cynical line of thought. The really good historical novels I've read were so convincing that it did not occur to me to question their authenticity.

In the title of my review I mentioned two similar novels which, if crossed, would result in this story. Both of those novels fall into the category of overdone, agenda-driven female fiction. Perhaps this comes from an effort to appeal to the middle-aged female audience, who probably represents a large percentage of the contemporary fiction market.
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Sep 17, 2011 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books, cultural, made-into-movie

This book is set in China, during a time when a woman's worth is based solely on the size of her feet, which is determined by footbinding. If she has small feet, she will marry well. If the footbinding goes wrong, or doesn't happen at all, the girl will be subjected to a life of slavery. The process of footbinding was horrific, and I found it very difficult to read about. The story follows two girls- Lily and Snow Flower- who are bound to each other from the age of seven. We see them grow up tog...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 23, 2007 kendra rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: your mom

lisa see is a very simple writer, and i don't mean that in a belittling way. some people excel at this minimalist form where every word counts and you can mill over brilliant word choices in a 5 word sentence that speaks volumes... simple writing is often genius. especially so in themes such as this, where images invoke feelings of delicate, polished perfection, etc. oh yes, simple could be grand. in this case, not.

and the foreshadowing-- yech. it's been a long 15 years since i read a novel that...more

4 likes · like · see review

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About Lisa See

Lisa See is a Chinese-American author. Her books include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2005), Dragon Bones, and On Gold Mountain. She was named the 2001 National Woman of the Year, by the Organization of Chinese American Women. She lives in Los Angeles.

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On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family

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“For my entire life I longed for love. I knew it was not right for me — as a girl and later as a woman — to want or expect it, but I did, and this unjustified desire has been at the root of every problem I have experienced in my life.” — 128 people liked it

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