Excellent but sometimes very disturbing book....
SYNOPSIS: Lily has the chance of a lifetime, the chance to move up in status in 19th century China. The diviner and matchmaker have deemed that her feet are worthy, if correctly bound, of a much higher marriage match. As part of her the process, she is given the opportunity for a laotong match. A laotong match is a lifelong contracted friendship with another female, an "old same". Snow Flower is to be Lily's "old same". Together these two will learn about life, love, marriage, and friendship. But will these two "old sames" survive once some dark secrets are revealed?
MY THOUGHTS: Wow, this is a powerfully written book. But just a caution... some of the scenes are very graphic, particularly those regarding the footbinding process.
Lisa See tells the story from the perspective of a woman living in an entirely different time period and it is difficult as a modern day woman to grasp the restrictions that women in 19th century China lived under. The entire culture seems so foreign that it is hard to grasp that women could think themselves so worthless and could be so unwanted. Where would all these men have been without the dutiful women????
SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN is a tale in which love is a central theme, but it is not a happy love. Instead, we see a very dark side, a side in which love and pain are so intertwined at points as to be inseparable. This is not an easy tale to read, but it is one of those thought provoking stories that stays with you long past the turn of the last page.
NEW TO YOU: Lisa See is definitely a new author to me. I appreciated her tone throughout the tale as she weaved one of those sorts of books that you definitely want to put down as the anguish is so unbearable and yet it is too compelling to put down.
HI
I am glad you enjoyed the story. It won't be anything I read, but I enjoyed your review very much. I understand that the process of foot binding is very painful and these women cannot walk. It had to be a man that thought up this torture.
Jeannie
Yes I am a readalholic and I don't want the 12 step program!!!
walking...
No, they can't walk well and what horrified me was that part of the process involved them walking specifically to break the bones of the feet as part of the foot binding process! And later, when the women needed to be able to walk years later, their feet weren't strong enough or large enough for any walking of distance. It was just horrid to read about. Well written but horrible, horrible to think about!
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
Hey Debi!
My grandma just read this book and will be sending it with my mother when she visits me in April. While my grandma is a reader, she usually takes a month to read a book. She told me she read this one in two days. She said she would fall asleep at night, but wake up 10 or 15 minutes later and start reading more.
Needless to say, I am really looking forward to reading this book!!
Take Care,
Tammy
"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves"...Anna Quindlen
Hi Tammy!
I can't wait to hear your perspective on this one. It's a tough book to read emotionally, let me tell you! That whole footbinding stuff is STILL haunting me!
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
I was surprised to see my
I was surprised to see my d's response to this one. he reads all these war books but somehow this one haunted him more than those. I can't waitto get some free space to read this one but not sure when free space will be.
AKA Merri
Family Challenge Team: The Spine Breakers with my dh Glenn AKA Phaedrus
I'll be curious...
to see how you respond as well. I already knew the ending, sort of, so that wasn't really a surprise. I mean, the author alludes to it throughout the book although she doesn't give the specifics. I've already told you offlist some of my thoughts about it.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
I saw her
I saw her next book Peony in Love (I think that was the title) today while out book browsing. I went to two different book stores and didn't buy a thing. I must be coming down with something as that never happens.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
nothing???
Two stores and you bought nothing? Quick, see a doctor!!!!
The audio of the PEONY IN LOVE is waiting for me at the library so I'll be starting that one fairly soon on audio. I'm hoping it is good.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
I read the blurb
I read the blurb and it sounded good. I'm trying to read some of my piles before I buy too many more. Of course I bought four last week. I did see a sign today that Rogue will be available on March 25th instead of April 1st so that makes me happy.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
I went nuts the other day...
in the store and must have walked out with around 20 books.
And then last night we were at B&N and I walked out with none... but another huge list!
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
I have a few
I have a few wending their way towards me now, eight to be exact.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog