Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See: Questions, plus a reading group guide, with links to reviews, excerpt, author interview and author biography at BookBrowse.com.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan A Novel
by
Lisa See
Hardcover: Jun 2005,
272 pages.
Paperback: Feb 2006,
288 pages.
Caution! It is likely that the following questions will reveal, or at least allude to, key plot details. Therefore, if you haven’t yet read this book, but are planning on doing so, you may wish to proceed with caution to avoid spoiling your later enjoyment.
Lily endures excruciating pain in order to have her feet bound. What
reasons are given for this dangerous practice?
Did See's descriptions of footbinding remind you of any Western
traditions?
If some men in 19th-century China knew about nu shu and "old same"
friendships, why do you think they allowed these traditions to persist?
Reflecting on her first few decades, Lily seems to think her friendship
with Snow Flower brought her more good than harm. Do you agree?
Lily's adherence to social customs can seem controversial to us today.
Pick a scene where you would have acted differently. Why?
Lily defies the wishes of her son in order to pair her grandson with
Peony. Does she fully justify her behavior?
Lily sometimes pulls us out of the present moment to reflect--as an old
woman--on her youthful decisions. What does this device add to the story?
How would you film these moments of reflection?
If Lily is writing her story to Snow Flower in the afterworld, what do you
think Snow Flower's response would or should be?
Did you recognize any aspects of your own friendships in the bond between
Lily and Snow Flower?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Random House.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. The Leviathan is a living airship, the...
One of the most celebrated writers of our time gives us his first cycle of short fiction: five brilliantly etched, interconnected stories in which music is a vivid and essential character.
In her most accomplished novel, Barbara Kingsolver takes us on an epic journey from the Mexico City of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to the America of Pearl Harbor, FDR, and J. Edgar Hoover. The Lacuna is a poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as they invent their...
The acclaimed author of Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude returns with a roar with this gorgeous, searing portrayal of Manhattanites wrapped in their own delusions, desires, and lies.
Like Robin Hood, Zorro is a story that almost everyone knows, but few have read. The original book by Johnston McCulley is out of print and ...
read more
I'm 13 years old and my teacher handed me this book and told me to read and do a report on it. I looked at the cover, saw the title (which made no ...
read more
I'm 13 years old and my teacher handed me this book and told me to read and do a report on it. I looked at the cover, saw the title (which made no ...
read more
The 2009 National Book Award Winners(Nov 19 2009) The winners of the 2009 National Book Awards have been announced at the National Book Foundation's 60th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit...
Full Story
Google Settlement Filed(Nov 13 2009) After two delays, attorneys for the AAP, Authors Guild and Google filed an amended settlement agreement today in an effort to end litigation brought by the...
Full Story
Become a member!
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends only the most interesting and well written books and provides you with everything you need to decide which are
right for you - so you can browse the best and ignore the rest.
One Month Free Trial
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
RSS feed
