itibaren Taganay, Novosibirskaya oblast', Ryssland, 633330 itibaren Taganay, Novosibirskaya oblast', Ryssland, 633330

This book is a compelling look into what life was like for girls living in 19th century China. The narrator, Lily, has a loatong named Snow Flower, which means they were set up to be lifelong friends. They meet when they are 6 years old and the book follows their lifelong journey. They experience many things together such as footbinding, marriage, war and the deaths of loved ones. They write to each other on a fan in a secret language only women know. I absolutely loved this book. Descriptive and beautifully written, I found myself genuinely caring about these girls. Life for women at that time was very oppressive but they were expected to handle everything letdown, disappointment and horror with dignity and grace. Despite feeling like her life is not in her control, Lily is quite a strong character. The only thing I had trouble with at times was identifying with the characters. They are raised to believe that they are worthless and awful and if they cannot produce sons they can be sold off as whores. In my life I feel that I have worth, strength and confidence as a woman and could not imagine feeling so negatively about myself. I would of course recommend this book to women but I think anyone who reads it will enjoy it for its sting, diverse characters and cultural interest.