SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN: Lisa See: Random House Trade Paperbacks: Fiction: 2006: 288 pgs.Lily, at 80, is reflecting back on her life starting with her daughter days in 19th-century rural China. Society was ruled by rigid codes of conduct, especially for women. Women were to have their feet bound, marry men through arranged marriages, and reside in upstairs women’s chambers. Their lives were isolated and their only value was in having sons. Through all of this isolation and hardship, Lily and Snow Flower are matched as laotongs, an emotional match that would last a lifetime. They use the secret women’s writing of nu shu to share their joys and heartaches on a fan that they pass back and forth over the years.
This is a story of love, friendship, rebellion, pride and heartbreak. The description of foot binding was agonizing, as narrated by Lily at the tender age of 7. This novel really focuses on the relationship of Lily and Snow Flower and how it changes over the years . Great detail is given to certain events and then other events are barely given any notice.
I really liked the book but I wish the author had just told the story instead of foreshadowing certain events so many times that when they actually happened, it was kind of a let down.
AL
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