Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Good Book is like a Good Friend
A little while I ago I read this book for a book club that I was in and I was amazed!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Tells the story of two girls, Lily & Snowflower, who create a Laotong a friendship that is to last forever and regarded higher than a marriage. It follows them as they grow into women and how their relationship grows as well. Set in a remote village in China this book covers how women were treated and regarded in society. What their roles in home are and what they have to go through to get a good marriage.
Lisa See does an amazing job in educating the reader in footbinding, marriage arranging, women's roles in China/society/home and she brings to light a secretive writing that women used (kept a secret from men) to communicate with each other, NuShu.
I really enjoyed reading about the relationship that these two girls had & found myself reflecting on how universal emotions are when it comes to your best friend. - I can't elaborate on it without spoiling some of the events in the book. I knew that women in China weren't looked to highly upon, but this opened my eyes to how are treated and what they are expected to do. I didn't realize how dangerous or really understood footbinding (after reading the book I looked it up on google....insane that women went through that, but then so are breast implants) I really enjoyed reading about NuShu writing and it's orgins. I was discussing it with a friend and she made the comment that even in oppression women still found a way to break free and communicate - yeah for girl power!!
Check it out and share it with your own "Old Same" (term used for best friend in the book). It will make you grateful for her. It will make you want to reconnect. It will make you want to wash all of your dishes with a smile on your face because you won't get beaten if you don't (so grateful that I'm a woman in America).
I enjoyed this when I read it. I was a bigger fan of "Shanghai Girls"--another one by Lisa See. Have you read that?
ReplyDeleteI haven't, but I have heard of it - thanks for the reccomendation Tara!
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