Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
Jun 2005 · Random House
4.5star
81 reviewsreport
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272
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About this ebook
Lily is haunted by memories–of 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.
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 (“women’s 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.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Lisa See's Peony in Love.
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 (“women’s 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.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Lisa See's Peony in Love.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
81 reviews
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March 11, 2008
This book is culturally advanced. It tells the story of a two women who go through life the "same" but different at the same time. Lily our narrator starts the story by telling the reading she has nothing left to lose; by that one statment this book started the telling of a story that needed to be said. As Lily tells her story of love she shows her misunderstandings and simple hardships that made her who she was. Snow Flower is Lily's laotong and through the story Snow Flower is described and well placed in Lily's mind. Lisa See is a genius that should continue to write for the rest of her life. This book was amazing and although I am just a highschool student; it has changed my life and way of thinking. I will try and be greatful that footbinding is no longer a main costum in China; although footbindings do still happen. Everyone should read this book to understand culture at its finest.
A Google user
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April 16, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Its a little out of what I normally read, but reading about the culture was very interesting. The footbinding is just awful and I could almost feel their pain. The story of friendship was a good one and it moved along nicely without becoming boring. I would reccomend this book.
A Google user
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January 28, 2009
This was a fantastic book. It's about the coming-of-age of two Chinese girls who develop a friendship over many years and the different paths that their lives lead them. Topics such as foot binding, marriage, friendship and war are touched upon in this magnificent novel.
About the author
Lisa See is the author of Flower Net (an Edgar Award nominee), The Interior, and Dragon Bones, as well as the critically acclaimed memoir On Gold Mountain. The Organization of Chinese American Women named her the 2001 National Woman of the Year. She lives in Los Angeles.
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