Review: Snow Flower & the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Rating:  9.9/10
Read: May of 2009
Recommended To:  Historical fiction fans, people who love a good book that focuses on relationships between characters, everyone who has ever let or had a misunderstanding ruin a friendship, people who enjoy culturally educational books.
Categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chinese Fiction

"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is set in 19th century China, in the remote Hunan county.  It is the story of a friendship, which begins when at the age of 7, Lily is paired with a laotong, or "old same", someone who is meant to be the ideal emotional match for a lifelong friendship, by the name of Snow Flower.  The girls communicate with each other using a secret language created by Chinese woman, called "nu shu", by sending each other messages hidden in the folds of fans, and written on handkerchiefs.  The book follows them from when they are young girls to as they grow older, always remaining in contact with one another as they provide solace and emotional support to each other through life's hardships, from their footbinding, to the hardships and joys of marriage and motherhood.  They fond a strong and unique bond, believing in the strength of their laotong relationship, until a misunderstanding occurs, that will forever alter their friendship.

Personal Thoughts:

 

The story is one both hauntingly beautiful, and tragic. I became absolutely absorbed in it from the very beginning.  It was beautifully written in such a way, as the best way I can think to describe is that I felt as though I were a ghost watching it unfold before my eyes. The friendship between Lily & Snow Flower, which is the main focus of the book, is completely wrapped up in the traditional world of the women in China during the 1800's, which allows the author to really weave a story that is interesting, as well as culturally educational.  

While I had previously read a few Chinese fiction novels, it was a genre I really wasn't drawn to beforehand, and had only dabbled in with mixed results.  Lisa See really opened me up to the genre with this novel, and I have since consumed quite a few more, including others by Lisa See.  This book still remains my favourite by her; not only that, but one of my favourite books, period.

Lisa See's ability to create a believable atmosphere is phenomenal. It is not just descriptive of the relationships & the setting, but poetic & captivating. She is able to tell a story that is both modern & historic, describing a friendship that is formed by historic traditions centuries ago, but that any modern woman could relate to & understand.

Before you pick this up, be prepared; it is an emotional journey, filled with sadness, heartbreak, love, friendship, and hope. It has definitely taken it's place in my heart as one of my favourite books ever, and I hope it will find a place in yours as well.


Pros:  
* Not too long, but still a fully-developed story that feels fully explored.
* Beautifully written, and very descriptive, without extraneous and "page plumping" passages.
* Characters are well developed.
* An in-depth exploration of the complexities of friendship.
* Culturally educational.


Cons:
It's not very often I am unable to come up with criticism for a book; believe me, I am usually jaded and very critical.  I really loved this book though, and can't imagine anything being different.  I guess if anything, I can say that if it had been an even longer story, I don't think I would have complained.  I feel the story was fully explored, as I said above, but I am sure that the story could have been drawn out a little more without dragging on. 


MORE BY LISA SEE: