| View Larger Image | Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel | Paperbackby Lisa See (Author)
| List Price: | $17.00 | | Price: | $11.56 | | You Save: | $5.44 (32%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Random House Trade Paperbacks | | Page Count: | 288 Pages | | Publication Date: | May 26, 2009 | | Sales Rank: | 2,281nd |
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FEATURES | - ISBN13: 9780812980356
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, an “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together they endure the agony of footbinding and reflect upon their arranged marriages, their loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace in their friendship, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their relationship suddenly threatens to tear apart.Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a captivating journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. Now in a deluxe paperback edition complete with an expanded Random House Reader’s Circle guide and an exclusive conversation between Lisa See and her mother, fellow writer Carolyn See, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel is, as the Seattle Times says, “a beautifully drawn portrait of female friendship and power.” |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 680 reviews)
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Top Read by Trina (Norman, OK United States)  5 Stars
November 27, 2009
I love this book. I am taken deep into a fresh, inspiring journey through life, love, culture, and friendship intertwined with joy and woe. I give Snow Flower and the Secret Fan the highest of recommendations.
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Where it lacked in detail, it made up in story by Staring Girl (Thornton, CO)  3 Stars
November 25, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. The story was gripping and I found it hard to put down. However, the book is a very quick read, being only 253 pages. At times, I felt like the story was rushed. There were critical points in the story where the author simply told the aftermath of a great event, leaving me craving for the actual details of the event. For example, the author talks at great length about Lily becoming pregnant for the first time. We travel through the events of her whole pregnancy, and then the author falls short by merely telling us the end results of the pregnancy instead of giving details of the birth. The book spared no details when describing the grueling experience these women partook in having their feet bound, yet the author skipped over yet another grueling experience women have to partake, and that is becoming mothers. I felt there were too many moments throughout the book where the story was going really well and there was a lot of description and detail, then it was like someone hit the fast-forward button and the story skipped ahead a few days, weeks, months, years, or even decades. All the while several important events take place during this time but we are simply told about them, not given a real extensive picture of them. Overall, the story really pulled me in and kept me wanted to read. In fact I even cried while reading this book, which I haven't done in quite some time. Honestly though, I felt the writing could have been better. Given the short length of the book, I still don't understand why the author rushed so much during through some of the critical parts of the story.
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good story, but hard to read. by Mom to 4 farm girls (rural PNW) 3 Stars
November 17, 2009
This was a selection of our book club, and not my usually type of book. The story was really good and I enjoyed it, but it was difficult to read. I am not sure if it was all the foreign names or the way it was written (or a combination), but I ended up borrowing an audio book of this and enjoyed it much more and finished the book that way, instead of in print.
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Great book by F. Murrell (New Bern, NC USA) 5 Stars
November 14, 2009
This book was one of the best I've read in a while. It was clear that the author had done her research or was familiar with the culture. The characters were real and believable. Read this for a book club and would recommend it to anyone. It was a good quick read (for me anyway) and yet it really made me think. This is the type of book that leaves you thinking long after you put the book down.
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Snow Flower by Lindsay Ann 5 Stars
November 08, 2009
I won't go into details, i'm sure you've read all of the other reviews. I personally loved this book. It was both saddening and beautiful. Definetly pick this up!
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