Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in Crazy Challenge Connection

Nov 04, 2008 Book Concierge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, movie, own, book-club, library, concierge, strong-women, women-writers, friendship, china

Our own "sworn sisterhood" (book club) had much to discuss on the topic of "footbinding" and other ways modern women are "bound."

See takes us to 19th century rural China, when marriages were arranged, feet bound and having sons was a woman's only means of achieving purpose in life. Lily and Snow Flower become "old sames" (Laotong) at age 7 and pledge their never-ending love and devotion. They communicate using "nu shu" - a secret women's language - writing verses in the folds of a fan. But a mis ...more

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Dec 02, 2016 Rachel N. rated it really liked it

Shelves: friendship, historical-fiction, china, read-in-2024

This was a re-read for me though the first time I read it I apparently didn't write a review. Lily and Snow Flower are matched as laotong , basically a contractual friendship, as young girls. Lily manages to marry well due to her perfect bound feet whereas Snow Flower ends up marrying an abusive butcher. What stuck with me most from my first reading was the foot binding descriptions and what an awful thing that was to make a person do. I still remember looking at pictures of actual foot bindings ...more

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Mar 04, 2017 Marla rated it really liked it

Shelves: with-reservations, award-winner, challenged, recommended-to-me, historical-fiction, book-about-books, asian, zz-2017

Wow, this is an intense book about a woman's life in historic China.

A laotong match is as significant as a good marriage… A laotong relationship is made by choice for the purpose of emotional companionship and eternal fidelity. A marriage is not made by choice and has only one purpose – to have sons.

Likes:
* Life in 19th Century China
* Girls become laotong at age 7
* Friendship of Lily & Snow Flower
* Nu shu ~ women's writing
* Fan with secret women's writing
* Obey, obey, obey, then do what you wan ...more

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Feb 12, 2008 Liz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ni-group-read, 2010-book-list

I remember studying Ancient China back in elementary school & always being fascinated by its history. However, I don't remember much from all those years ago. So now when I think of Chinese history/culture, I picture the Great Wall of China, Chinese New Year, the terracotta army, & Disney's Mulan.

Reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan showed me a completely new side of China through the lives of two women - laotong, or old sames. Lisa See described in detail the atrocities of war & poverty, but I remember studying Ancient China back in elementary school & always being fascinated by its history. However, I don't remember much from all those years ago. So now when I think of Chinese history/culture, I picture the Great Wall of China, Chinese New Year, the terracotta army, & Disney's Mulan.

Reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan showed me a completely new side of China through the lives of two women - laotong, or old sames. Lisa See described in detail the atrocities of war & poverty, but most importantly, the hardships that come with being born a daughter in China. She painted a very realistic & eye-opening picture (at least I was convinced) of women in 19th century China where they were considered wortheless except for their ability to bear sons. It showed an oftentimes startling view of how women were treated & what was expected of them. They were forbidden an education, which led them to using a secret written language, nu shu, to pass stories, poems & messages along to other women. See's vivid description of foot binding (a whole chapter is dedicated to it) left me with my head between my hands, concentrating on my breathing, so I literally wouldn't throw up. (I've never had a book get that sort of reaction out of me!)

See, through her deep & detailed writing was able to beautifully & heartbreakingly portray the relationships of women with those around them: their mothers who showed mother-love (tough love is how I interpreted it), fathers, siblings, husbands, sworn-sisters, matchmakers & laotong. The language used throughout the novel conveyed the poetic & symbolic Chinese tongue, which I greatly appreciated. It made me feel as though I were witnessing the true lives of those from another time & culture instead of getting a fictionalized account of China written by a tourist. It felt genuine.

I also felt a great connection to the main women in the story, Lily & Snow Flower, two friends whose friendship & laotong bond was brought about through unlikely circumstances. They were strong & devoted women in their own way, & through them, the reader was able to feel the significance of such a relationship in a male-dominated world.

4.5/5

"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." ~ Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Visit my blog: Through the Pages ...more

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May 14, 2021 Soelo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: movie-not-seen, library, audio, z2021lost, popsugar2021

A wonderful story of a lifelong friendship. A clear accounting of the suffering of women in the early 19th century in China. I enjoyed this quite a bit and the narration was well done.

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