About "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"

I am giving "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See 3 stars.  I waffled, trying to decide if I should give it 4 stars.  It's a very good book.  I just don't know if it's a great book.  I hate my rating system.

I read this book a few years ago and had forgotten about it until I started reading it.  Much of it came back to me as I did.  It's set in the 1800's in China and is the story of Snow Flower and Lily--two life long friends--and the paths their lives take.  Mostly this is the story of Lily spending the last 40 years of her life trying to undo the wrongs she did in the first 40 years of her life.  And really, she committed no real wrongs, in the way that we would think of them.  But she felt she wasn't the best friend to Snow Flower and spends a good deal of time trying to make amends.

Beyond that it's a fascinating look at rural China in the 1800's including foot-binding--a barbaric practice.  Look it up on the internet.  As I thought more about foot-binding though, I decided it's probably only slightly more barbaric than the stiletto shoes women wear now.  Give me a comfy pair of flats any day!