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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

I've been trying to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, but I'm having a very hard time! She gives a full-out description of foot binding and how they treated children in the 1830's. I'm trying to get through this, because the story is supposed to be very good. The writing is beautiful, it is just that the topic is too heartbreaking. I keep putting it down and going to other books -- but I will get through it!

Yes, it IS heartbreaking (and bone breaking), but look for the strength in how the women used the fans for the secret writing to each other, and it will help. I loved this book!

I really liked this book. Her writing style drew me right in and I really enjoyed learning about women's relationships with each other during a period of time that was, obviously, very difficult for them. The footbinding descriptions were very, very graphic. I kept looking at my own feet and thinking about it! I did have to put the book down to just think while reading those parts, but I think that because I had such a strong reaction to it, it made me appreciate See's writing style even more. I did not enjoy Peony in Love half as much, but am really looking forward to reading Shanghai Girls. The topic, again, seems fascinating to me. Has anyone read it?

Jaime wrote: "I really liked this book. Her writing style drew me right in and I really enjoyed learning about women's relationships with each other during a period of time that was, obviously, very difficult f..."
Yes, I've read it, too. Here's what I wrote for my review:
This book was the least favorite of the Lisa See novels I've read, but still an enjoyable read. She takes great care with the research, and describes places and people quite well. However, with this novel, it seemed uneven, and perhaps even written with Howewoo (Hollywood) in mind. I don't want to spoil the ending, but could there be a sequel?

I just googled "footbinding China" and there were some photos of some elderly ladies that had their feet bound that shows what their feet look like. It looks so painful, even many years later when they are used to it. It certainly gave me a visual on what they were talking about as they described it.

Lynn wrote: "I just googled "footbinding China" and there were some photos of some elderly ladies that had their feet bound that shows what their feet look like. It looks so painful, even many years later when ..."

I did that when I was reading it, too. Those pictures really add to the description. It looks so unbearable.

I ended up giving Snow Flower 5 stars. I can't say I "enjoyed" it, as such, but it was a beautiful and moving story. Here's some of my review:

Lily, the 80-year-old narrator of the story who describes herself as one "yet to die" (as most women died about age 40), tells the story of her life. The story is set in the Hunan province of China during the 19th century. Central to the story is her relationship with her laotong, Snow Flower. This story was written beautifully and took me visually into the life and times of women in the Hunan province. The description of the foot-binding process was painful and ugly. I also learned about nu shu, the written language of upperclass women. The details of the period brought into full focus the life of Lily and those who surrounded her.

I thought this was a fascinating novel that artfully blended the tale of friendship between Lily and Snow Flower with Chinese customs and history. I loved how their story unfolded and developed over the course of their lifetime. Reading about the process of foot binding was painful, as was reading about the worthlessness of girls. However, the secret writings of Lily and Snow Flower and other Chinese women was inspiring. I wish I hadn't waited so long to read this!