What a painful existence!

An addictive novel, very documented, very well written, evokes especially the status of women in China in the mid-nineteenth century. We are plunged into a life of atmosphere subject to strict ancestral rules, where joy has no place, or very little. From the outset the fate of girls is drawn, their future husband named their early years, unbeknownst to them, naturally.
The problem of the feet of girls bandage promised to an honorable rank is omnipresent in the book. Although knowing this tradition, I did not know how this terrible precept represented such torture and such a handicap for life. In particular the fact to learn that ten children died in horrified me. Survivors, anyway, were virtually crippled for the rest of their days. They moved very little, indeed, alive and locked in the service of men. This subjugation of women, China, at the time in question, can not awaken in us an immense compassion and great indignation, so relief can be to live in a free country.

On this background hopeless suffering, a beautiful friendship started between Fleur de Lis and Snow Flower, both promised to be a good match, which become "laotong" soul mates. They can console each other about their lack of freedom and enroll in a secret writing reserved for women, the "nu shu", their delicate and poetic confidences, a range that they are passed from time to time.

Alas, the wheel turns and the fate of Snow Flower toggle. The friendship of the two girls will be tainted by the evil spell. Then hard to catch up when death is announced for one of the two sisters of the heart.

This book written by a woman, is a faithful mirror of the feminine soul, with such complex feelings, but similar regardless of the country where one lives. The reader woman I am, entered easily into the skin of heroin and that of his laotong. I strongly felt the moral isolation of these "slaves" of Chinese society, which have no other horizon than their homes, and that of their husbands and other alternative than to obey their mother, and their stepmother.

This novel of great value, but very painful, will continue for some time to haunt my mind and to raise questions and conflicting feelings. I understand better why the Chinese have produced so many beautiful embroidered works. It was one of their own outlets, and art goes well with suffering, he does forget. Creating is a beneficial escape.

A thousand bravos to Lisa See for these beautiful examples of resigned life, love of others and self-sacrifice.