My friend gave me two books for my birthday and I finished them!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Set in 19th century China, this book starts with a young girl named Lily from a less fortunate family and Snow Flower, from a wealthy family. Both girls are born on the same day and year and became laotong, bound together for life. Both girls' feet were binded (a custom that was practiced in China on young girls - if you ask me is similar to mutilation) at a young age. When they turned seventeen, they were married off in arrange marriages. This is where it is interesting in that Lily was married into a wealthy family and Snow Flower married into a low-status family. There's more but you'll just have to read the book if you are interested.
My personal review - the book was o.k. It was entertaining to read the book and gain a better understanding of the old days but I am glad I did not live in that 19th century China mentality where women were basically treated like they did not matter and were only put on Earth to give birth to sons. Bunch of crap. There's a saying in the book where it is basically saying that a girl should listen to her family when she is young, once she is married, she needs to listen to her husband and when her husband passes on, she needs to listen to her son. What the hell?? What a stifling atmosphere.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Set in 19th century China, this book starts with a young girl named Lily from a less fortunate family and Snow Flower, from a wealthy family. Both girls are born on the same day and year and became laotong, bound together for life. Both girls' feet were binded (a custom that was practiced in China on young girls - if you ask me is similar to mutilation) at a young age. When they turned seventeen, they were married off in arrange marriages. This is where it is interesting in that Lily was married into a wealthy family and Snow Flower married into a low-status family. There's more but you'll just have to read the book if you are interested.
My personal review - the book was o.k. It was entertaining to read the book and gain a better understanding of the old days but I am glad I did not live in that 19th century China mentality where women were basically treated like they did not matter and were only put on Earth to give birth to sons. Bunch of crap. There's a saying in the book where it is basically saying that a girl should listen to her family when she is young, once she is married, she needs to listen to her husband and when her husband passes on, she needs to listen to her son. What the hell?? What a stifling atmosphere.
Peony in Love by Lisa See
Set in 17th century China, this book is about a girl named Peony, who feel in love with a boy she met on an evening at her home. She was supposed to be married when she turned seventeen but five days before her arranged marriage, she died because she was a lovesick maiden and did not want to be in the arranged marriage. The irony of it all is the person she was supposed to be arranged to was the boy she feel in love with but when she realized that, it was too late. She dies and becomes a ghost. Now you will just have to read the book if you are interested.
My personal opinion - I did not enjoy this book as much and actually scanned through some of the readings. The ghost part was not as appealing and it is a good 75% of the book. The thing I did find interesting is some of the cultural practices and rituals when a person is alive as well as when a person dies. This book reminded me a bit of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I enjoyed The Lovely Bones much more.
Set in 17th century China, this book is about a girl named Peony, who feel in love with a boy she met on an evening at her home. She was supposed to be married when she turned seventeen but five days before her arranged marriage, she died because she was a lovesick maiden and did not want to be in the arranged marriage. The irony of it all is the person she was supposed to be arranged to was the boy she feel in love with but when she realized that, it was too late. She dies and becomes a ghost. Now you will just have to read the book if you are interested.
My personal opinion - I did not enjoy this book as much and actually scanned through some of the readings. The ghost part was not as appealing and it is a good 75% of the book. The thing I did find interesting is some of the cultural practices and rituals when a person is alive as well as when a person dies. This book reminded me a bit of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I enjoyed The Lovely Bones much more.
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