Over 200 years ago, Chinese women lived a secret life of pain and loss. They practiced foot binding - a sacred and important custom which bound their feet to the size of a thumb. At the age of 6, the foot binding began. Every bone in the foot was broken, and with no modern medicine, nothing could appease the pain. One in every ten girls would die from this practice, yet mothers continued to subject their daughters to this excruciating pain.Why did the mothers secretly force this pain upon their daughters? The answer is simple: to get married. In Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, a girl of the name Lily experiences the ups and downs of foot binding. After bearing the pain, her feet are perfect. The matchmaker is in awe; her feet could get her any man of any status. Of course, coming from a lower class family, Lily would need to show she could handle being part of the upper class. The matchmaker comes up with the solution to provide Lily with a friend for life; a girl who astrologically matches with Lily and can show her what life in the upper class is like. This friend (called a laotong) is Snow Flower: a resilient, faithful girl, who may look like she has it all, but in fact is facing immense hardships.
Lisa See brilliantly uses detail to depict the lives of the two laotong; from childhood until their old age. See shows us that no matter if a woman loses their riches, love, or lives a life of pain: a best friend will stay true until the end. If you enjoy a book rich with history, secrets, and friendship, this is the book for you.
Reviewed by BHS student H. Williamson
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