J. Else

J. Else asked Lisa See:

I loved "Snow Flower" so very much in part because of the "pen-pal" friendship which developed and how the two women complemented each other. Do you find yourself relating to one of your characters over another (this can include any of your books)? Are there fun quirks you share with one of your characters?

Lisa See I relate to all of the characters to some extent. I mean, I wrote them! So a part of each of them is in me and a part of me is in each of them. (I hope that makes sense.) In Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, there were different aspects of my personality that were in both Snow Flower and Lily.

I don't usually think of these things as fun quirks, though. I usually use something in myself that I don't like and amplify it. For me, it becomes a bit of an exercise like "See what could happen if you didn't keep that part of yourself under control?!"

More Answered Questions

Gwendolyn B.

Gwendolyn B. asked Lisa See:

Lady Tan's Circle of Women was a joy to read! Obviously, traditional Chinese medicine requires a much different approach than what we know in the West. During your journey of researching and writing, did you find your own views of health and medicine evolving? Are there any assumptions you held that you started to question? Have you reconciled both approaches to medicine in a way that makes sense?

Catherine Buhler

Catherine Buhler asked Lisa See:

Lisa, you are my favorite author. I have become intrigued with historical fiction since reading your novels. I would stay up for hours just to finish them. We lived in Shanghai for 2.5 years and it was so fascinating to hear the back story of the culture. I can’t wait for hour new story to come out in March. If you ever want someone to review them i would love to. Which story is your favorite and why?

Mr Puddy

Mr Puddy asked Lisa See:

Dear Lisa, according my early question, I forgot to put on specify , I would love to read Medieval China in your style, particularly the most famous Chinese Empresses. Is there any chance ?

All answers from Lisa See…

53,243 followers

To ask Lisa See a question, please sign up.

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions