Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See


Rating: 4 Tell a Friend over a Derby pie (ääää)
Pages: 258
Challenges: Summer Reading Thing, TBR
Synopsis (from BN.com)
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “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 painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared 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 deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
Review
I liked the fact that this book takes you to a completely different place that I wouldn't have experienced without it. If you enjoyed Memoirs of a Geisha you will enjoy this book. I thought parts were heart breaking and it was a difficult book to read, but the story was very good and it was great learning about Chinese culture.

1 comment:

Darlene said...

Great review! I'm going to read this for the Summer Reading Challenge in August. I've heard so many good things about it and I loved Memoirs of a Geisha so now I'm really looking forward to reading it. Thanks.