Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

This book was also on the New York Times list for 2006 (or was it Slate.com?). I really enjoyed the story and the cultural background that See so skillfully painted. It could have been just another "Ya-Ya sisterhood," or just a depiction of 19th century Hunan province, or just a coming-of-age story, but it was all of those things and more.

This story follows two "Old Sames" -- girls matched at a young age as soul mates based on the characters in their names and on the dates of their birth. As the narrator (Lily) says early on in the book, "How could we conceive of deep love, friendship, and everlasting commitment when we were only seven? We had not even met, and even if we had, we didn't understand those feelings one bit. They were just words I wrote, hoping that one day they would come true."

Old Sames are just one of the structured women's friendships mentioned in the book. Other characters are part of "sworn sisterhoods" after marriage as an alternative. A women's writing style called Nu Shu also played a central role in the story. Women wrote to each other in this poetic language. Lily and her Old Same pass a fan back and forth on which they correspond in Nu Shu.

The story begins when the girls are seven and follows them through their senior years, which in the 1800s in rural China is actually about 50. During their lifetimes, the girls have parallel experiences with footbinding, marriage, sexuality, the pressure to have sons, and the changing political (and thus economic) climate. See plays with fate and destiny through the book, leaving Lily to comment at one point, "But this is the nature of fate. You make choices that are good and sound, but the gods have other plans for you."

The scenes that describe the girls' footbinding are especially memorable. I had read about footbinding in the past, but the mechanics were explained in complete and grotesque detail. Also memorable were the relationships between the girls and their mothers-in-law...what they described as fair treatment sounded downright abusive to me. Later in the book, the women make a treacherous trek through the mountains during the Taiping Rebellion which has some unforgettable scenes.

My only negative criticism of the book is the occasional modern idiom that Lily used. Her voice sounded otherwise authentic, but I think the editing missed a few phrases. This surprised me, since the book was obviously well-researched and carefully thought out.

I would definitely recommend this book. Bring your passport -- you will be transported to 19th century China.