Wouldn't it be nice to have a friend who you know will always be there for you? Someone you know you can count on throughout your life? Told from the point of view of 80 year old Lily, this is the story of two “old sames,” Lily and Snow Flower. The two girls’ families match them in an arrangement meant to create lifelong friends and provide an opportunity for Lily, whose family is not as high of status as Snow Flower’s family. The girls become fast friends and correspond with each other throughout their lives through secret letters written in the folds of a fan. They write in a secret form, called nu shu—created by women over a thousand years before—to protect their conversation from the male dominated society in which they live. As Lily describes her life, we learn about what it was like to be a woman in 19th century China, specifically in the Hunan province. We suffer with her through foot binding, an experience that can be difficult for some to read. We follow Lily and Snow Flower from young girls to old women, through marriages and children, and hardships. When Lily marries higher than Snow Flower, their friendship takes a hit, but they survive through that and more.This is a thoroughly enjoyable book and a great way to learn about old Chinese traditions (you will cringe as Lily goes through foot binding- a barbaric practice in which the bones of the feet are broken then the feet are wrapped tightly to force them to stay small forever). There are enought twists to keep you interested. The story was written so beautifully that I found myself looking to see if it was based on a traditional story or legend- nope, the author is just a great storyteller!
Book; 13+; ISBN 9780812968064; New York: Random House, 2006
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