one of the best things a historical fiction book can do is to teach the reader something new.

i may have learned a lot more about footbinding than i wanted to, but i was absolutely enthralled by the dynamics of small chinese villages and the role of women. i loved reading about the history of nu shu and how it facilitated relationships between women.

and even though there is some really fascinating content in this story, i couldnt help but feel disconnected from the two main characters. when lily and snow flower were children, they were radiant little balls of light. but as they got older, they flattened and became one-dimensional. ive read some of LSs more recent books and they have excellent characterisation, so im just going to chalk this one up to being one of her first books and just not being as strong of an author yet.

but this is still a book that offers a lot of learning opportunities, which is something that cant be dismissed.

↠ 3.5 stars

“Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See was so much more than I ever expected from a historical novel.

I knew nothing of nineteenth century China before I discovered this book at a used book store. I departed on a historical journey via this read, which I had a hard time putting down. The story is narrated by 80 year old Lily telling the story of her friendship through the years with Snow Flower.

Lily and Snow Flower, born on the same day to two separate families, are partnered as laotongs, “old sames", for the remainder of their lives. They began their journey at age seven by living together for the ancient tradition of foot binding through the time of their arranged marriages.

Lily and Snow Flower remained connected after their marriages by communicating in nu shu, “women’s writing”, a secret language undecipherable by men. Their bond remained strong until a misunderstanding causes a threat to their friendship.

This book was as heart wrenching as it was beautiful. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR list. It’s a wonderfully written book‼️❤️ I will definitely be reading more of Lisa See's books.