Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Book Jacket Summary:
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or “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 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. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They both endure the agony of footbinding and together 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.

Keren’s Review – 9 out of 10 Stars:
One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was the look into life and society in early 19th century China. The view into daily life on a farm and what was expected of women (compared to their perceived value) kept me reading. It is amazing to me that the gender that everyone thought had so little value, or seemingly contributed so little compared to the cost of their housing, contributed so much to the day-to-day lives of the people around them.

Obviously, one of the areas of the book that if found amazing was the view into ritual foot binding. Although I knew it happened, I didn’t realized that it essentially reduced the area they walked on to the size of their big toe. Now, I have big toes, but seriously, to walk with all my weight on my big toe - it just wouldn’t happen!

Ironically, one of the things that added to a woman’s value was the size of her feet – the smaller, the better. The size of Lilly’s feet awards her a place of honor well above her current social status. It’s an interesting balance to Snow Flower’s declining social status, which although her family is seemingly of a higher level, the social disrespect brought on her father was enough to change the path of her life.

In the end, the inability of one the “old-same’s” to recognize and adapt to the changes in her life – and in the other’s life – that ultimately leads to the climactic confrontation. She only then realizes how her perceptions of life are far from what really happens.

Overall, I loved this book. It was an easy read (I finished it in about 10 hrs), it kept my attention and I wanted to keep reading. There was one section in the later half of the book that seemed to drag a bit, but it provided necessary background for the climax of the relationship. We also had a great conversation about the book at Book Club, including the perceived value of women, if there anything like footbinding in today’s society, and the relationship between women.

For more reviews and posts by Keren, search Keren's Korner on the blog.