Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
Jun 2005 · Sold by Random House
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84 reviews
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About this ebook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD • A “haunting, magical, and absolutely impossible to forget” (The Boston Globe) novel about the unique friendship between two women in nineteenth-century China, from the acclaimed author of Shanghai Girls
“A marvel of imagination . . . so mesmerizing the pages float away and the story remains clearly before us from beginning to end.”—Amy Tan, author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles
“[A] marvelous narrative . . . a timeless portrait of a contentious, full-blooded female friendship.”—Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice)
“An achingly beautiful, understated, and absorbing story of love . . . evokes the work of Jane Austen.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she has written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men.
As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They both endure the agony of footbinding and together reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared 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 deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
“A marvel of imagination . . . so mesmerizing the pages float away and the story remains clearly before us from beginning to end.”—Amy Tan, author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles
“[A] marvelous narrative . . . a timeless portrait of a contentious, full-blooded female friendship.”—Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice)
“An achingly beautiful, understated, and absorbing story of love . . . evokes the work of Jane Austen.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she has written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men.
As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They both endure the agony of footbinding and together reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared 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 deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD • A “haunting, magical, and absolutely impossible to forget” (The Boston Globe) novel about the unique friendship between two women in nineteenth-century China, from the acclaimed author of Shanghai Girls
“A marvel of imagination . . . so ...
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Ratings and reviews
84 reviews
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 31, 2010
This was a very interesting story about China and the lives women led there. Women led cloistered and parallel lives to the men. The foot binding, the rules, the regulations... This story was very compelling and told in the first person. A unique character with a unique voice.
A Google user
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May 26, 2008
This remarkable book was poetry to read and imparted history, the Chinese culture and wove an immensely moving story into a spellbinding novel. I highly recommend it.
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.
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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