West Valley Book Club's March Pick: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
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The West Valley Book Club will meet on March 14 at 6:30pm to discuss Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Originally published in 2005, this novel is set in 19th century China and chronicles the lives of two friends as they move through various trials and tribulations.
In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. (from Amazon)
The film adaptation was released in US theaters last summer, which has drawn recent attention back to the book. If you haven't read the novel yet, be sure to read it first before you watch the film, and join us at West Valley on March 14 for some lively literary conversation.
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