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Search - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
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Book Description:
Lily is haunted by memoriesof who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of Snow Flower, and asks the gods for forgiveness.Members who requested this book also requested:
In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu (womens writing). Some girls were paired with laotongs, old sames, in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. 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.
With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become old sames at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, 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 lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. With the period detail and deep resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships: female friendship.
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Genres:Other Versions of this Book: Audio CD (Abridged), Hardcover
Top Member Reviews
Jane K. (
36 member(s) found this review helpful.
I couldn't put this book down. A truly amazing work!
When Lily is matched with Snow Flower as a laotong (lifelong friend), everything seems magnificent. But when the true reason for the loatong match is revealed, only time will tell whether their friendship will survive. The story, as told by Lily who has reached the end of her long life, is filled with both the joys and sorrows of girls growing up in early 1800's China. It is filled with detailed accounts of the Chinese culture of those times and the harsh realities of those who lived in rural China. A fascinating and gripping tale of the strength of women, even if they are considered as lesser beings by the society around them.
A must-read for anyone who enjoys first-person narrative and historical fiction.
Melody L. (
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
A beautiful and emotional of two girls growing up in 18th century China. This book is well written. It gives a look into Chinese culture, traditions, and the role of women.
Michelle R. (
12 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wow! I was very impressed with this book. This was my first look into the Chinese culture and now I'm hooked. I had no idea what foot binding entailed and it was so interesting to learn of a female's upbringing and place in society. Would make a great book club read. Highly recommended.
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
If you've ever wondered about the practice of foot-binding in China, this is the book for you. This book also has a main character who is not entirely sympathetic, but that by the end you like despite her shortcomings. This would be a great book for a book club!
Rhonda O. (
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is an extraordinary story! Loved every word in it, all the way through to the end. Even though the setting is a world so very different from this one, Lisa See manages to make the reader feel completely at home there.
Jenny R. (
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a wonderful story that tells us so much about the Chinese culture at that time and also is a story for women, about the strength of women and the bond between women. Great book!! Highly recommended!
8 member(s) found this review helpful.
I found this book to be extremely overrated. I wouldn't have finished it except for thinking that so many people can't be wrong; maybe if I read fifty more pages I'll become entranced...
Well, I was wrong. When the story was over and done with, yeah, the plot was good, the writing was good... except for one crucial little detail. I found I really didn't care what happened to the characters; none of them seemed real or deep.
7 member(s) found this review helpful.
Absolutely amazing! I couldn't put this book down. If you liked Memiors of a Geisha and any book by Amy Tan, you will most certainly love this book.
Betty B. from MILAN, TN wrote on 9/5/2007...
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a beautiful heartbreaking story about the agony of footbinding and arranged marriages, extreme loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
Beautifully written book that really touched my heart. I hope whomever reads it next is equally blessed.
Rate These Member Reviews
Hannah C. from BOLINGBROOK, IL wrote on 8/10/2008...This book was hard to read because it was so emotional - great joy and sadness.
I loved this book! It is so full of emotion and I learned so much from the vivid descriptions of another life. The foot binding was difficult to read. I will definitely read this again.
This book has a great story line and also includes fascinating historical information about a secret written language "illiterate" Chinese women used to communicate among themselves. It gave them a voice in a very patriarchal society. The practice of foot-binding and its many implications is also described very effectively in this book. But the best part is the depiction of characters the reader will come to love. Lisa See is a talented writer and this book brings the reader quickly into a culture that no longer exists.
Read this book in my book club and it was one of the best discussions after that we ever had about a book. So much to talk about, to learn from, ponder on. Made me appreciate being born and raised in America with rights and in a society that values women.
Ann G. from SUN VALLEY, CA wrote on 3/7/2007...In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily is paired with another girl named Snow Flower who introduces herself by sending a silk fan on which she has written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. This is the story of their lifelong friendship with its ups and downs.