Books are a kind of spiritual sustenance, which is healthy and benefit to your mind and intelligent. I rarely read novels actually, but when I come to a serious mood swings, when outdoor activities, singing, watching funny movies could no longer stop me from thinking negatively, I will find a new home for my spirit, I will chose books to rest my shoulder on. What a good choice. I'm glad that I've chosen books rather than liquor, dice, cigarette, men and anything in the same category.
I've found a novel which attracted my eyeballs and mind totally. Not the book cover, but the whole story, the brilliant words used, and the beautifully constructed phrases, the title of each chapter, everything had show the intelligent writing skills of the author. It's different with any novels that I've ever read. Truly interesting for me, haunted, a little bit funny, the best part is, the author makes the whole story alive, it's true that it's a marvel of imagination. I've finished them all, without skipping any chapters. After I've read the first chapter in bookstore, I 've decided to bring it home, I don't think I can forget it, and I just can't wait to know "What's next!".
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Different version of book covers.
But it seems like this is the only version can be found in the bookstore, which is the one I got.
A story about the whole life of two women in nineteenth century of China:- From their childhood, footbinding processes, friendship, marriages, until their death, Lily and Show Flower (Xue Hua), who were borned in same day and same time, the only thing different from them was their status in life. Lily was born in a rich family with high status, while Snow Flower was born poor. Lily and Snow Flower were introduced to be friends by a Chinese fortuneteller, who pridicted that Snow Flower will married to the richest family in town when she grown to adult. Lily was introduced by her to teach Snow Flower everything she should know to be a wife in rich family. Snow Flower was inpressed by Lily's classy clothes, personality, even her soft skin, which reflected Lily as a girl with rich family. Somehow, Snow Flower felt self-abasement when she was with Lily, by thinking that Lily is far more awesome than her in everything. They have became best friends, they wrote on fan as a letter for each other, and they named it 'The Secret Fan'.
The true friendship, the ugly truth, the sad yet beautiful ending.
After years, Snow Flower decided to visit Lily's home, since always Lily who visited her for years. Snow Flower discovered that Lily's family has long bankrupted since before they were introduced to each other, because Lily's father was a junky, who has spent all of their weath in drugs, and never bother about the family anymore... and Snow Flower realized that the reason Lily was being introduced to her was because she needed to learn how to become a wife in a poor family. As Lily's family infamous condition and status, the only possibility for Lily to get married is to arrange a poor family for her. Eventually Snow Flower was married to the richest family in town, however Lily was married to a poor family which her husband worked as pig slaughter in their own house.
After married, they still wrote to each other, and Snow Flower still sneak out from her house to visit to Lily's new family secretly, although her mother-in-law doesn't allow her to. They are still best friends like before regardless on huge status difference. Nevertheless, status differences made Lily unable to confide her real problems to Snow Flower anymore. It's normal, let's say you have broke up with your bf/gf, you won't confide with your best friend who has sweet dating and sweet moment with their couple. Your best friend is having a good life, you don't want your best friend's sympathy. You will find another person who are facing the same problem with you instead, because they truly know how you feel at the moment. Another reason was Lily unable to talk to Snow Flower immediately when she are facing problem, Lily wrote to Snow Flower about some of her problems like miscarriage, but when the time Snow Flower replied her, she has already gone through it. So, Lily has confided to another three women who have married to the poor family. Snow Flower found out of this, she was super duper angry and said that Lily has betrayed her.
Snow Flower has dispraised Lily in public regarding on her unhealthy sex lifestyle with her husband. Lily didn't say a word and left the venue with tears. Snow Flower no longer bother Lily, no matter how Lily explained. One day, Snow Flower realized that Lily's husband was abusing her, he had beat her constantly, hardly, since their first son's miscarriage case. He thinks it's Lily's fault for him to lose her first son. This thing was never being mentioned to Snow Flower. Lily doesn't want Snow Flower to worry about her.
Eventually, Snow Flower found that Lily was sick, serious sickness, with no cure. Lily passed away. Snow Flower was so regret with her action towards Lily, she also found that Lily has never betrayed her. Snow Flower was so grieve and she has decided to repay Lily by taking care of her new born child, a beautiful little girl. Snow Flower has taught her everything she should know as a rich wife, like how Lily has taught her. She has also helped her in footbinding, make she able to make her a 3 inches lily feet like she does. When the little girl grown up, Snow Flower has made her to marry into her own family, marry to her eldest son. In the end, the girl was living as the same status as Snow Flower does, and Snow Flower has died peacefully on a chair.
In this book, all the 'why, when, who, where, what and how' about footbinding, as well as the cautions and expected result of footbinding have been mentioned in the story. I couldn't imagine how was the perfect lily feet exactly look like in reality, below are the only pictures I could get, according to the novel the perfect one should be around 7cm (3 inches) only. Can you imagine how tough these women had been through during footbinding and how strong they were to complete the whole process!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan has also mentioned about good characters a woman should be trained, duties of women, skills that women learnnd in that century such as embriodery, secret words created by women and so on.
The embroidery on lily feet shoes, sewed by women their own.
I have good imagination and books can bring me out of the circle, effectively stop me from thinking of my own stuff but bring me to another wonderland, somewhere I've never been.
An interesting book, strongly recommended.
p/s: Trust me, it won't waste your single time by reading this book.
