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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel

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.
From the Hardcover edition.

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “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’s painted 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 fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and 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.

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17 Reviews

Love it (94%)  |  Hate it (6%)  |  On the Fence (0%)  |  Didn't Rate it (0%)
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From: Location: Chicago Posted: Jun 07, 2007 Type: User Review Lovely, Bittersweet Story

This is an evocative tale of the harsh realities of life for women in Ancient China. The story unfolds lyrically and openly - much like the simple fan that contains the innermost secrets of Lily and Snow Flower.This book provides a fascinating view i
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4.00 Star Rating
4.00/5
From: Location: Ny NY Posted: May 30, 2007 Type: User Review Excellent Book

I bought Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and finished it about 2 days later. The book was well written and very entertaining. Although the begining seemed to drag at first it picked up rather quickly and was a good read
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5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Apr 22, 2007 Type: User Review Casual heartbreak

Restrained, elegant, and totally absorbing. This is a strong story, about tradition and fitting in--and also about pride and too much strength.

Lily and Snow Flower have little choice when it comes to marriage and position within...
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5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Apr 22, 2007 Type: User Review Love, love, loved it.

Beautiful story about two children and how they essentially, grew up together. I have seen many Chinese movies and movies that feature China (from the Painted Veil to The Road Home to King of Masks)but never one that dealt with this aspect. It...
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5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Apr 20, 2007 Type: User Review Poignant and Sorrowful

"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is a suspenseful and poignant novel set in nineteenth century China at a time when foot-binding was practiced and women were kept secluded.

Two women in Hunan province establish a deep friendship as...
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5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Apr 17, 2007 Type: User Review A window into 19th Century rural China

There are many topics I know little or nothing about. The everyday life of a farming family in 19th Century China is one of those topics. After reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan", I feel as if I had a brief glance into the culture. Lisa...
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4.00 Star Rating
4.00/5
From: Amazon Posted: Apr 17, 2007 Type: User Review ~just a gal

I felt the author was not able to capture the delicate restraint inherent to chinese culture. I did not really enjoy this book.
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2.00 Star Rating
2.00/5
From: Location: Seattle, WA Posted: Apr 08, 2007 Type: User Review Snow Flower and the Seret Fan

Interesting to learn about the life of Chinese women, ho w foot binding was done and how difficult life was and still probably is for them.
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4.00 Star Rating
4.00/5
From: Location: Texas Posted: Apr 05, 2007 Type: User Review Snowflower and the Secret Fan

This is a fantastic read! It was a wonderful way of learning about the culture of another country. I had heard about foot bindings but did not realize the pain and disfigurement involved. I just thought their feet were wrapped ace-bandage like. Not!T
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5.00 Star Rating
5.00/5
From: Location: Saratoga, CA Posted: Mar 26, 2007 Type: User Review Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

This has the feel of a "traditional novel" of pre-revolutionary China. But it reveals through the female narrator an entire cultural universe as it pertains to the experience, functions and status of women in the days when foot-binding was a sign of
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4.00 Star Rating
4.00/5
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