An extremely memorable book. Vivid characterization. Details painted in full color, no hazy black and white or washed out water color. Lives that are so different from our modern western ways are revealed to present sympathy, understanding and a desire for friendship. Lily and Snowflower grow up and old. Snowflower has a much harder life and dies young. We come to know her so well, yet still we want to know more. Truly a book worth rereading!

Poignant tale of two girls whose lives are intertwined. ( )

This was an extraordinary book in many ways. This novel reads like a memoir and is told by 80-year-old Lily who reminisces about her life, from early childhood, encompassing a deeply-rooted friendship, through marriage, to old-age.

It goes back to the early 1800s in China and reveals an exotic world where women were subjected to stringent rules and ancient customs. One of these rituals was footbinding, an agonizingly painful practice (that finally ended in the 1950s). This rite is described in excruciating detail as the protagonists, Lily and Snow Flower, experience the process to ensure that they have "white lillies" i.e. perfect, tiny feet to secure better marital prospects.

The friendship that develops between Lily and Snow Flower during their footbinding ritual at the age of seven is fostered by the secret language nu shu, which they use throughout their lives to communicate with one another via their secret fan. This language was used by women in the higher strata of Chinese society, and employed exquisite artistry, paintings and flowery language to convey heartfelt emotions.

The story was beautiful and, at times, melancholic. All-in-all, ir provided an intriguing cultural experience! ( )

excellent

In 19th century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication - nu shu. Some girls were paired with laotongs, "old sames," in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. Much later, when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. ( )