Reddit reviews Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel

There’s a book about this! It’s called Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. It’s a story about two sisters that use this text. Highly recommended!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812980352/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Q.bxDbZFJJV49

Or you could, I don't know, read a history book?

>The status of women was set at birth. Sons were cherished additions to a family, not only for their physical and economic ability to contribute to the family, but also as the carrier of the family name. Only a son could provide for his elderly parents and properly venerate his ancestors. Daughters were considered a "small happiness" because they would marry into another family. To make a daughter more desirable to a potential spouse, her feet were broken and bound to produce three to four inch stubs suitable only for teetering around the house. In times of famine or dangerous warfare, daughters were the last to be fed, and newborn girls were smothered. While such severe actions were rare, they did occur and left a lasting legacy of discrimination against females.

Women's Roles in China
by Cara Abraham

Chinese women had their own written language, Nüshu script, to communicate in secret, and would often meet and sing songs about how worthless they were as women. It was just a part of their culture: as women, they were a drain on everyone's life [not my opinion, but the general consensus at the time.]

If you were born as a female into a poor family in China, especially if you were the youngest, you were essentially a burden to your family and nothing else.

The very poor farm families could benefit from extra hands, but for everyone else, the girl's foot would be broken and bound, keeping her incapable of doing any work besides sewing and cooking. From the age of 8 on (till death) the girl would not really leave the house at all, except on special occasion.

Eventually, they would be married off and that would be that, they might not ever see their family again, and sure couldn't be counted on in time of emergency; that's what sons were for.

But in order for the daughter to be married off, you had to have a dowry and she has to be given lots of possessions to last her for her life, as she is expected not to take from her husband's family. And the class she is marrying into depends on her family's status, how pretty the girl was, and how tiny her mutilated feet were (ideal length was from the tip of your thumb down to the end of your hand.)

So, in conclusion, if you were a girl born into a poor family, which was most of China throughout history, and unless you were born on a farm, you were a huge financial burden on your family, lasting until the day you were married off, with no return at all unless, maybe, possibly, if you happened to marry way up in class and then, however unlikely, you were given permission by your husband and, most importantly, his mother and father. So, basically, never.

Would you like to know more? This was covered in a Gender Studies class and there's a fantastic book called Snowflower and the Secret Fan that covers exactly what I am talking about.

https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Flower-Secret-Fan-Novel/dp/0812980352

Give it a read.

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TL;DR: You don't have a clue what you are talking about.

For quick reads about preteen and teenage girls in Middle Ages England, try Karen Cushman's books including Catherine, Called Birdy (minor nobility), The Midwife's Apprentice (like the title says), and Matilda Bone (bonesetter's apprentice).

Philippa Gregory has a number of well-researched adult books, mainly about nobility in Tudor England.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (1800s) and Peony in Love (1600s) by Lisa See are about ordinary girls in China.

OP, if you are looking for a really incredible book by a korean-am author, i recommend nora okja keller's fox girl. it is INCREDIBLY dark but honest and gorgeous and terrifying. i loved and hated it when i read it for an asian american lit class and to this day almost 8 years later i can't stop thinking about it. (https://amzn.com/0142001961)


esme weijun wang - border of paradise (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26196482-the-border-of-paradise)
^^CANNOT recommend this enough. it is LIFE CHANGING. haunting beautiful devastating modern gothic, mixes language and culture like nothing i've read before.

celeste ng - everything i never told you (https://amzn.com/0143127551)

annie choi - happy birthday or whatever (https://amzn.com/0061132225)

andrew x. pham - catfish and mandala (https://amzn.com/0312267177)

lisa see - snow flower and the secret fan (https://amzn.com/0812980352)

The Giver (Lois Lowry) https://www.amazon.com/Giver-Quartet-Lois-Lowry/dp/0544336267/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663349&sr=8-1&keywords=the+giver+by+lois+lowry

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (Anne Fadiman) https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Catches-You-Fall-Down/dp/0374533407/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663409&sr=8-1&keywords=the+spirit+catches+you+and+you+fall+down

Looking for Dei ( David A. Willson) https://www.amazon.com/Looking-Dei-David-Willson-ebook/dp/B078KNKC7D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663480&sr=8-1&keywords=Looking+for+dei

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See) https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Flower-Secret-Fan-Novel/dp/0812980352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663558&sr=8-1&keywords=snowflower+and+the+secret+fan

Moloka’i (Alan Brennert) https://www.amazon.com/Molokai-Novel-Alan-Brennert/dp/0312304358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537663608&sr=8-1&keywords=molokai+book

I could recommend a dozen more, but these are a few of my favorites. Sorry I could not make the links pretty. Thank you for this fun contest, I love books so much!