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About This Book
ISBN13: 9780812968064 |
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
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.
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About the Author
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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:









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Krista Smith-Moroziuk, May 14, 2008 (view all comments by Krista Smith-Moroziuk)
Lisa See brings 19th century China to life with historical detail. It is a heartbreaking story of friendship. I did not want this book to end.





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blueviolet, January 13, 2008 (view all comments by blueviolet)
I was captured by this book from the beginning. I haven't been this enthralled with a story in a long time. It captures the beauty, pain and emotions of these brave and duty-bound young girls as they pass through the footbinding stage of life and beyond. It's a riveting although sometimes excruciating account of their lives. I can't say enough about the book. Nobody would be disappointed with this. It's excellent!





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amykile, April 24, 2007 (view all comments by amykile)
From the first page of this book I was mesmerized. I didn't want to put it down. See tells the story so vividly that I could actually envision everything from painful footbinding to the heartbrake of death. I have passed this book on to my sister and mother. You will not want it to end!
View all 4 comments
Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780812968064
- Author:
- Publisher:
- Random House Trade
- Subject:
- General
- Subject:
- Women
- Subject:
- Historical - General
- Subject:
- Married women
- Publication Date:
- February 2006
- Binding:
- Paperback
- Language:
- English
- Pages:
- 269
- Dimensions:
- 8.08x5.08x.63 in. .47 lbs.










