Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the Book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Jun 2005, 272 pages
Paperback:
Feb 2006, 288 pages
This article relates to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
The practice of foot binding began around 970 BC.
Bound feet were described as 'lily feet' because they were
considered so beautiful and were symbolic of gentility
and high-class.
The process began for a girl between 3 and 11 years. The
four small toes were broken and turned under and bound,
then the arches were broken so the foot could be pulled
straight with the leg. Overtime the feet would shrink so
they could fit in 'lotus shoes' 3 inches long. In the
1600s the Manchu Dynasty attempted to end foot binding
but it was not officially banned until 1911, when the New Republic was
formed.
The history of foot binding
Nu shu literally means 'woman's writing'. It
was developed by women of the Hunan province in secret
over hundreds of years (women were forbidden any formal
education). The characters are rendered in a more
cursive style than written Chinese. The last woman
proficient in Nu shu (believed to be the world's only
female-specific language) died in 2004 in her 90s,
ending a 400-year-old tradition. More
about Nu Shu.
This "beyond the book article" relates to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It originally ran in July 2005 and has been updated for the
February 2006 paperback edition.
Go to magazine.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
