Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Lily is haunted by memories of who she once was, and of a person long gone who defined her existence. In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu (“women’s writing”). 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 to reach 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 at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The bond between them is challenged by a misunderstanding that threatens to tear them apart. This novel delves into the depth of female friendship and is accompanied by the detailed narrative reminiscent of 'Memoirs of a Geisha.' This edition also contains an excerpt from Lisa See's Peony in Love.