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Two girls in nineteenth-century China form a lifelong bond and write to each other in a secret women’s script
2005Steady paceMelancholic
What it is about
In rural China in the 1800s, two girls, Lily and Snow Flower, are paired as laotong, or “old sames,” a lifelong friendship. They communicate through a secret writing called nu shu. As their lives change with marriage, their bond is tested.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who like historical fiction about women’s lives.
What you will get
A bestseller. It describes painful practices such as foot binding.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Historical Fiction · Friendship · Foot binding · Women’s writing
Length
258 pages · ≈ 7 h
More about this book
Characters
Lily and Snow Flower.
Setting
A remote village in Hunan Province, China, in the nineteenth century.
What makes it different
It explores nu shu, a women’s script used in rural China.
Feel
Delicate, sad and vivid.
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