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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel (Paperback)

by Lisa See (Author)

4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (Feb 21 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812968069
ISBN-13: 978-0812968064
Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 1.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 182 g

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #4,036 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories:

#4 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > Asian American
#9 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Friendship
#17 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Psychological & Suspense

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. See's engrossing novel set in remote 19th-century China details the deeply affecting story of lifelong, intimate friends (laotong, or "old sames") Lily and Snow Flower, their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. While granting immediacy to Lily's voice, See (Flower Net) adroitly transmits historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women's ceremonies and duties in China's rural interior brings fascinating revelations about arranged marriages, women's inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters' foot binding ("Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you have peace"), the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. Most impressive is See's incorporation of nu shu, a secret written phonetic code among women—here between Lily and Snow Flower—that dates back 1,000 years in the southwestern Hunan province ("My writing is soaked with the tears of my heart,/ An invisible rebellion that no man can see"). As both a suspenseful and poignant story and an absorbing historical chronicle, this novel has bestseller potential and should become a reading group favorite as well.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Lily at 80 reflects on her life, beginning with her daughter days in 19th-century rural China. Foot-binding was practiced by all but the poorest families, and the graphic descriptions of it are not for the fainthearted. Yet women had nu shu, their own secret language. At the instigation of a matchmaker, Lily and Snow Flower, a girl from a larger town and supposedly from a well-connected, wealthy family, become laotong, bound together for life. Even after Lily learns that Snow Flower is not from a better family, even when Lily marries above her and Snow Flower beneath her, they remain close, exchanging nu shu written on a fan. When war comes, Lily is separated from her husband and children. She survives the winter helped by Snow Flower's husband, a lowly butcher, until she is reunited with her family. As the years pass, the women's relationship changes; Lily grows more powerful in her community, bitter, and harder, until at last she breaks her bond with Snow Flower. They are not reunited until Lily tries to make the dying Snow Flower's last days comfortable. Their friendship, and this tale, illustrates the most profound of human emotions: love and hate, self-absorption and devotion, pride and humility, to name just a few. Even though the women's culture and upbringing may be vastly different from readers' own, the life lessons are much the same, and they will be remembered long after the details of this fascinating story are forgotten.–Molly Connally, Chantilly Regional Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Dec 3 2008

By	Pauline - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel (Hardcover)

"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" occurs in China during the eighteen hundreds. Lily the narrator of the story has reached the age of eighty years and is recounting her life. She wants forgiveness from those who have passed on before her, especially from her laotong Snow Flower. A laotong is a lifetime relationship, that is formed between two females and the commitment runs deeper than the bond between a husband and wife.

Foot binding is explained in explicit detail near the beginning of the book. I was riveted to this chapter and read most of it with my mouth hanging open in terror. If you decide not to read the book, make sure you at least read the chapter on foot binding; it will change your perception of life.

The whole point of foot binding was to make the female more provocative and attractive for her husband; perfect feet also provided better choices for a high-quality husband. Lily's mother is able to create perfect feet during the foot binding process for Lily, but she also suffers a tragedy with another one of her daughters during the process. When feet are bound some suffer severe damage that leaves them unable to walk unaided and one in ten die from the procedure due to infection.

Snow Flower and Lily have an intriguing relationship and the book revolves around their lives from when they are young girls to when they are married and baring children and then to their grave. Lily enjoys the more providential life and has a hard time accepting Snow Flower's life. Lily believes Snow Flower's problems are of her own doing. It is not until the end, that Lily sees the true and bitter facts of Snow Flower's life. Lily's final words for Snow Flower are: "But if the dead continue to have the needs and desires of the living, then I'm reaching out to Snow Flower and the others who witnessed it all. Please hear my words. Please forgive me."

This book does not speak highly of males; the males in the book due to the era of time treat the women like property. The origin of foot binding is controversial and no set reason for the beginning of the practice has been found, but I think it may have to do with controlling women, for in binding their feet they are basically handicapped for life and have to rely on their husbands for everything.

I enjoyed this book, but I found the depth of the characters lacking, I just did not become overly attached to them. Creating new best friend in books is one of the reasons I read, but while a great read, I did not make any best friends in "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" just acquaintances.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Passion for friendship is Universal, Nov 28 2007

By	N. Jomha - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lisa See's novel was given to me by my best friend of 30 years and I immediately knew why. Although set in a place and time that I have never really given much thought to, the story of the female passion for friendship is universal.

Deeply humanistic and moving, the story of Snow Flower and Lily gave me serious pause for thought while at the same time enlightening me on the fascinating, albeit horrific, history of the Chinese women.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting look at 19th century China, May 20 2007

By	Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

While the story is a bit slow and drags at time, the look into the relationship between two women who are sworn as children to be lifelong friends, laotong or old sames, is very compelling. And you will learn WAY MORE about the process of foot binding than you ever wanted to know.

Well worth spending a few hours reading about the relationship between these two girls as they matured, married as arranged by their families, and sharing their joys and sorrows.

Four stars for the wonderful depictions of 19th Century life of women in China, three stars for the slow paced storyline.

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Most recent customer reviews

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this book has some interest as an item of cultural anthropology (? comparative ethnography) but, by writing it in the form of the memoir of a nineteenth century Chinese woman, the... Read more

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5.0 out of 5 stars Snowflower and the Secret Fan
this book is excellent....I knew about foot binding but did not realize exactly how it was done....it is an interesting and insightful book on China. I fully recommend it.

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Published on Jan 21 2007 by Bookaddict