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A review by _askthebookbug
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
5.0
// Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
"A true lady lets no ugliness into her life," she repeated again and again, drilling the words into me. "Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you find peace. I wrap, I bind, but you will have the reward."
It wasn't too long ago that I read Lisa's The Island of Sea Women, a book that sheds light on Haenyeos (female divers from Jeju). I was immensely fascinated by the way they lived. Soon after, I downloaded a copy of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Set in the 19th century, this historical fiction focuses on two young girls growing up in remote China. There was an interesting concept of finding Laotongs for young girls back then. A Laotong relationship was considered the most sacred of all, which bound two girls in sisterhood till eternity. These relationships were cherished and celebrated, sometimes more than their marriages with the husbands.
Lily and Snow Flower were brought together as Laotongs at a very young age. While Lily came from a poor family, Snow Flower was from an affluent one. Back then people were convinced that foot binding made a girl special and important. The smaller the feet were, the better the girl's prospects were in getting married to a wealthy family. These feet which were broken and remoulded were ironically termed as 'Golden Lilies'.
As the story progresses, we see the girls growing up into beautiful ladies but not before their lives are peppered with pain and suffering. Lisa explains in detail about the Confucian system and about the rich Chinese culture. It doesn't take long to realise that both of her books, The Island of Sea Women and this one have certain similarities. Both carry women at the centre of the stories, exploring their friendship and sisterhood. Both are melancholic books, one that portrays the unfair manner in which society treats women.
While I thought Sea Women was painful, this one exceeds it. There's so much sadness in it that it feels impossible to read it quickly. This has only made me appreciate Lisa's brilliant researching capacity. A lot of hardwork goes into her books and it's very evident.
Please read it.
4.5 ⭐
"A true lady lets no ugliness into her life," she repeated again and again, drilling the words into me. "Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you find peace. I wrap, I bind, but you will have the reward."
It wasn't too long ago that I read Lisa's The Island of Sea Women, a book that sheds light on Haenyeos (female divers from Jeju). I was immensely fascinated by the way they lived. Soon after, I downloaded a copy of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Set in the 19th century, this historical fiction focuses on two young girls growing up in remote China. There was an interesting concept of finding Laotongs for young girls back then. A Laotong relationship was considered the most sacred of all, which bound two girls in sisterhood till eternity. These relationships were cherished and celebrated, sometimes more than their marriages with the husbands.
Lily and Snow Flower were brought together as Laotongs at a very young age. While Lily came from a poor family, Snow Flower was from an affluent one. Back then people were convinced that foot binding made a girl special and important. The smaller the feet were, the better the girl's prospects were in getting married to a wealthy family. These feet which were broken and remoulded were ironically termed as 'Golden Lilies'.
As the story progresses, we see the girls growing up into beautiful ladies but not before their lives are peppered with pain and suffering. Lisa explains in detail about the Confucian system and about the rich Chinese culture. It doesn't take long to realise that both of her books, The Island of Sea Women and this one have certain similarities. Both carry women at the centre of the stories, exploring their friendship and sisterhood. Both are melancholic books, one that portrays the unfair manner in which society treats women.
While I thought Sea Women was painful, this one exceeds it. There's so much sadness in it that it feels impossible to read it quickly. This has only made me appreciate Lisa's brilliant researching capacity. A lot of hardwork goes into her books and it's very evident.
Please read it.
4.5 ⭐