Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

What a wonderful view into life for women in China half a century ago! I feel the reader did a great job and I was sad to have the book end.

I have heard good reviews about this book for years, and it has been a popular choice as a Book Club read, so I looked forward to listening for some time. What a disappointment! Although I found the story somewhat interesting and informative at times, the narrator's voice was so grating that it was a real struggle to complete. I would suggest a paper copy of the book, if you want to bother at all. The theme of the book is about female friendship, but I found it difficult to relate to the selfishness of the main character. The reasons for Lily's abandonment of her life-long friend for many years was hard to fathom, and its resolution didn't ring true for me. For a much better, less sappy story, I'd vote for Memoirs of a Geisha anytime!

Reminscent of "Memoirs of a Geisha," this book takes place in 19th century China where women's roles were limited to bearing children (preferably sons) and doing chores around the house. They live in their inlaws' house and rarely, if ever, see their parents once they move in. Not only is Lily's marriage arranged, but so is her deep friendship with Snowflower. They quickly grow to love each other. I'll stop now to avoid giving away the plot. The novel is narrated by Lily at 80 years old, twice the years of the average lifespan of a woman. This is a truly wonderful novel with an excellent narrator. I missed the characters acutely once it was over.

This book provides a fascinating look into women's life in China, fascinating even for a man! It was often poignant as the struggles of that time and place are described; but the insights it provides into relationships and choices are often gripping. The perspective of an 80-year-old woman reviewing her life was effective. The narrator does a great job, giving a "Chinese feel" to the reading but still very clear and understandable. Highly recommended!

The narrator (Janet Song) managed to pull me in immediately and I anxiously looked forward to car trips to keep up with the story. I even listened to it while doing housework. It is now one of my favorite audios.

This book tells the story of the realm of women during early 1800's China. Women spent their entire lives inside concerned only with household duties. It is told through the point of view of Lily, now an old woman of 80 years. She begins with her poor childhood and the days just before her foot-binding at age 7. Because she is so beautiful and has remarkable feet a lao-tang match is made for her with a girl of a more educated and refined background, Snow Flower. The two become life-long friends and enter into a relationship with a stronger bond even then marriage during that time period.

They communicate using Nu-shu, or women's writing, a more simplified version of the Chinese characters. Because it is forbidden they hide their words in a large fan and send it back and forth over the years.

Both girls take very different paths when it is time for them to marry, but they continue their friendship through letters and their secret fan. Through family deaths, famine and war we see the hard lives thrust upon women and are completely engrossed in their stories. The images of the rigors of foot-binding will stay with me forever.

I highly recommend this book. We will be discussing at my next book group and I’m dying to see what the ladies have to say.

I was reading this novel about a year ago and lost my book. I found it here on Audible and decided to listen to it. I recalled that even though I did not get far into the reading of it before I had liked what I read.

What happened is this: I got tired of narrator's tone. So I went and purchased paperback and started reading the book again. However, when reading to myself I kept hearing the narrator's voice. The story is so very good that even tho I did not care much for the narrator's tone I still listened to it during times I could not read- like at work and doing household chores.

The story is so touching, even powerful because I know it will influence my future perceptions of the value of friendships, sisterhood, and mother-daughter relationships.

The focus is primarily the relationship between two girls/women and reminds me of my relationship with my own twin-sister. Extremely few bonds are ever as close. Even the physical contact shared by these two may to some seem inappropriate but they were not sexual experiences. It just showed how deep the friendship became- "old sames".

I also liked the other relationship perceptions explored by the author (Mother-daughter, Aunties, Blood sisters, Daugher/Mother-in-law, etc). This novel delves into many issues that arise in the lives of women and although the culture is very different from American culture (for instance the practice of taking a concubine) the feelings are very much the same and identifiable.

I laughed a little. I cried a little more. But I loved all.

About the narrator: eventually her voice/tone grew on me. It helped to be able to read the physical copy as well. I listened to 100% of the novel and read 100%. I am likely to listen to it again now that I am accustomed to the narrator....but for certain I will be entertained by this novel again be it audio or visual.

Don't pass it up either way.

While I loved hearing details about this period of time in China, I found the narrator's voice to be incredibly irritating and distracting. This is a book I would have enjoyed more as a read than a listen.

The book was OK. References to Memoirs of a Geisha are inevitable, and it's not quite as good as Geisha. I kept waiting for some deeper meaning, which never came. But an enjoyable story if you're travelling, on vacation, etc. I'd recommend picking up a paper copy, though, because the narrator on this recording is terrible. She has one of the most annoying, over-enunciating voices I've heard, which takes away from the decent writing.

This was a beautiful story about a friendship of two young girls from different backgrounds and all the things they went through growing up. I enjoyed this book so much it was well written. This is the third book I have read from this author and I must say she has become one of my favorites!! A great book!!!!

This book was wonderful. I enjoyed the captivating storytelling. It was so interesting. It brought me to tears several times. I would recommend it and have to many of my friends. This will be rated as one of my favorites.