--- product_id: 3609039 title: "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel" price: "€ 29.87" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3609039-snow-flower-and-the-secret-fan-a-novel store_origin: GR region: Greece --- # Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel **Price:** € 29.87 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** € 29.87 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3609039-snow-flower-and-the-secret-fan-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD • A “haunting, magical, and absolutely impossible to forget” ( The Boston Globe ) novel about the unique friendship between two women in nineteenth-century China, from the acclaimed author of Shanghai Girls “A marvel of imagination . . . so mesmerizing the pages float away and the story remains clearly before us from beginning to end.”—Amy Tan, author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles “[A] marvelous narrative . . . a timeless portrait of a contentious, full-blooded female friendship.”— Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice) “An achingly beautiful, understated, and absorbing story of love . . . evokes the work of Jane Austen.”— Cleveland Plain Dealer In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong , or “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 has written 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 the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They both endure the agony of footbinding and together 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. Review: women's connections - Lisa See's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is a beautifully written exploration of the connections that women have over the spans of their lives. It is poignant, disturbing, and spot on regardless of whether the reader is a lover of the 19th century (in which the story is set) or one who favours the contemporary. The disappointments the women of the novel face are simialr to our own; and the burdens that society places on women today are much the same that were placed on women from Lily's time, though in different ways. See's tale begs the question of "what is really different" as it explores the issues of "beauty' and the sacrifices women make to be "beautiful". It approaches the ways in which women demean themselves for the sake of "beauty". Is women's image of beauty cultural or universal,and from whence do we get these notions of what is means to be "beautiful." For See, the answer is that we can all see oursleves as beautiful and if we (as women) would stop judging our sisters we might find happier lives. As well, See allows us to see the absolute determination of women to survive ina ll ways possible. In the end, what we collectivly allow is a universal subjection of ourselves, never recognizing our abilities to be strong and united, and we all contribute to this situation by our own "policing" of other women. Also explored are the notions of family dynamics which (for women) can be oppressive and challenging to say the least. The characters in See's novel may seem distant to the western woman, but read intuitively, her women teach us lessons that should not be ignored. her women live life in the most subtle and charming terms, but they also live life more valiantly and meaningfully than we can imagine. This book SHOULD be on OPRAH"S BOOKLIST . . . it is a MUST for any woman who has a family, children, parental difficulties, and who loves another woman in any fashion. The book is simply a MUST READ for those who love literature whether academically, as a pleasure reader of women's fiction, or for the general reader. A simply amazing piece. Review: Bonds And Friendship Between Women - I was captivated by Lisa See's book, SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN. This was an amazing story about the lasting relationship between two girls who grew up in nineteenth century China, and how their deep friendship developed over their life time, in part because they were chosen as latong 'old sames' - a cultural traditions that links them as intimate friends until death. As the story about Lily and Snow Flower unfolded, I better understood how Chinese cultural traditions and customs prepared these young girls for the inevitable events in their lives. Lisa See accomplished this early on by her vivid description of Lily's painful foot binding at the age of nine, and how this tradition came to epitomize 'instructions' specific to learning about pain and suffering, tolerance, and obedience, which Chinese girls must learn in coping with the heartache and anguish they would endure later in their lives. For example, the emotional heartache they experience when they leave their natal families when they marry, the grief they suffer when they loose a child in childbirth or infancy, the brutality they come to suffer from abusive husbands or cruel mother-in-laws, the jealousy they must endure when their husbands take in concubines, and the rigid codes of rituals, which imposes social isolation on women. Lisa See goes further by explaining the yin and the yang of Chinese philosophy, and how grief and suffering is as accepted as the celebration of joy and happiness. If you enjoyed Amy Tan's, THE BONESETTER'S DAUGHTER, respective to the special relationship between Chinese women, you will enjoy this engaging story about the strong bond of love, trust, betrayal, yet the lasting an impenetrable friendship between Lily and Snow Flower. Best of all you will learn about the secret code of writing, or 'nue shu', which enabled Lily and Snow Flower the share their most intimate and deepest secrets. I highly recommend this fascinating book. Maizie James May 24, 2010 ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #38,100 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #42 in 19th Century Historical Fiction (Books) #406 in Friendship Fiction (Books) #705 in Psychological Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 8,254 Reviews | ## Images ![Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rtt+qT2+L.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ women's connections *by S***Y on March 29, 2009* Lisa See's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is a beautifully written exploration of the connections that women have over the spans of their lives. It is poignant, disturbing, and spot on regardless of whether the reader is a lover of the 19th century (in which the story is set) or one who favours the contemporary. The disappointments the women of the novel face are simialr to our own; and the burdens that society places on women today are much the same that were placed on women from Lily's time, though in different ways. See's tale begs the question of "what is really different" as it explores the issues of "beauty' and the sacrifices women make to be "beautiful". It approaches the ways in which women demean themselves for the sake of "beauty". Is women's image of beauty cultural or universal,and from whence do we get these notions of what is means to be "beautiful." For See, the answer is that we can all see oursleves as beautiful and if we (as women) would stop judging our sisters we might find happier lives. As well, See allows us to see the absolute determination of women to survive ina ll ways possible. In the end, what we collectivly allow is a universal subjection of ourselves, never recognizing our abilities to be strong and united, and we all contribute to this situation by our own "policing" of other women. Also explored are the notions of family dynamics which (for women) can be oppressive and challenging to say the least. The characters in See's novel may seem distant to the western woman, but read intuitively, her women teach us lessons that should not be ignored. her women live life in the most subtle and charming terms, but they also live life more valiantly and meaningfully than we can imagine. This book SHOULD be on OPRAH"S BOOKLIST . . . it is a MUST for any woman who has a family, children, parental difficulties, and who loves another woman in any fashion. The book is simply a MUST READ for those who love literature whether academically, as a pleasure reader of women's fiction, or for the general reader. A simply amazing piece. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bonds And Friendship Between Women *by M***E on May 24, 2010* I was captivated by Lisa See's book, SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN. This was an amazing story about the lasting relationship between two girls who grew up in nineteenth century China, and how their deep friendship developed over their life time, in part because they were chosen as latong 'old sames' - a cultural traditions that links them as intimate friends until death. As the story about Lily and Snow Flower unfolded, I better understood how Chinese cultural traditions and customs prepared these young girls for the inevitable events in their lives. Lisa See accomplished this early on by her vivid description of Lily's painful foot binding at the age of nine, and how this tradition came to epitomize 'instructions' specific to learning about pain and suffering, tolerance, and obedience, which Chinese girls must learn in coping with the heartache and anguish they would endure later in their lives. For example, the emotional heartache they experience when they leave their natal families when they marry, the grief they suffer when they loose a child in childbirth or infancy, the brutality they come to suffer from abusive husbands or cruel mother-in-laws, the jealousy they must endure when their husbands take in concubines, and the rigid codes of rituals, which imposes social isolation on women. Lisa See goes further by explaining the yin and the yang of Chinese philosophy, and how grief and suffering is as accepted as the celebration of joy and happiness. If you enjoyed Amy Tan's, THE BONESETTER'S DAUGHTER, respective to the special relationship between Chinese women, you will enjoy this engaging story about the strong bond of love, trust, betrayal, yet the lasting an impenetrable friendship between Lily and Snow Flower. Best of all you will learn about the secret code of writing, or 'nue shu', which enabled Lily and Snow Flower the share their most intimate and deepest secrets. I highly recommend this fascinating book. Maizie James May 24, 2010 ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Snow Flower was my home and I was hers." *by J***E on March 30, 2009* "Snow Flower and The Secret Fan" is an epic tale which chronicles the lives of two Chinese women, Lily and Snow Flower. Set in a remote area of Hunan Province, Lily was born in 1823, "on the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year of Emperor Daoguang's reign." During her lifetime, Lily lives through the reigns of four emperors. Most Chinese girls had their feet bound and spent their lives in seclusion in nineteenth century China. Isolated and illiterate, they were not expected to think or to express emotions. They were expected to bear sons. However, the fortunate women living in Hunan villages of the Jian-yong region were exempt from some of this harsh oppression. They were taught to write a special women's language and they were allowed, on occasion, to form special friendships. This deeply affecting novel begins with Lily, an eighty-eight year-old woman, and our narrator, who looks back over her life with bitterness and regret. She is haunted by memories of the past, by actions and events she cannot change. And she remembers, above all else, her laotong friend Snow Flower. "This special relationship formed by two girls, is made by choice for the purpose of emotional companionship and eternal fidelity. A marriage is not made by choice and has only one purpose - to have sons." Often "this special friendship would be formed through an intermediary, like a matchmaker, much like an arranged marriage. Women of suitable birthdays, ages, backgrounds and birth-signs would be paired this way in a bond of exclusive sisterhood that would last a lifetime and would survive marriage, child-birth and widow-hood. A laotong relationship would be rarely renounced or broken." The people in Lily's village now call the venerable woman, "one who has not yet died." For her entire life she longed for love, although as a girl and later as a woman, she knew it was not right to expect it. As a third child, a second worthless girl, her mother looked upon her as just a temporary visitor, another mouth to feed, another body to dress, until she went to her husband's home. At the age of six, Lily never dreamed of sharing a laotong relationship. But one day, the town's foremost matchmaker, Madame Wang, visits her family and seeks to examine the child, primarily inspecting her yet unbound feet. Madame proclaims that Lily's feet are not developed enough to be bound at this time. "The girl is indeed very lovely but golden lilies are far more important in life than a pretty face. A lovely face is a gift from heaven, but tiny feet can improve social standing." She suggests that Lily's mother and aunt do their best to educate the girl in traditional ways. If she learns well, she might be eligible to marry into a well born family in the village of Tongkou. Madame Wang also speculates that Lily may be eligible for a laotong relationship. During the next year, Lily is taught the two Confucian ideals which govern a woman's life. The first is the "Three Obediences: when a girl obey your father; when a wife, obey your husband, when a widow obey your son." The second is the Four Virtues: " Be chaste and yielding, calm and upright in attitude; be quiet and agreeable in words; be restrained and exquisite in movement; be perfect in handiwork and embroidery." Most importantly, Lily's aunt taught her the secret women's writing Nu Shu. Believing women to be inferior, men disregarded this new script, and it remained unknown for centuries. Nu Shu, which is Chinese for "women's writing," was once written and sung by many of the women in Hunan villages. When Lily turns seven, it is time to bind her feet, a symbol for the subjugation of women in China. A perfect foot should be shaped like a perfect lotus bud and be no longer that the length of a thumb. This perfection is called the Golden Lotus. "Every pair of small feet costs a bath (kang) of tears." It is at this time that Madame Wang returns and tells the family that she has found a well-matched laotong relationship for the girl. Lily and Snow Flower are seemingly alike in all ways. The most important relationship in the girls' lives is about to begin and they are only seven years-old. Snow Flower has composed a poem of introduction for Lily, in Nu Shu, written within the tiny folds of a silk fan. Their friendship is sealed and they become "old sames." As years pass, through arranged marriage, childbirth, war, rebellion, famine, drought, loneliness and suffering, the bond between the two becomes stronger and they find happiness and solace in each other. Lily is blessed by good fortune. Snow Flower is not. Their friendship of over 30 years takes a turn for the worse. Although both friends are born under the sign of the horse, they are really quite different in spirit and in circumstances, and these differences become more marked by age and fate. Lily is practical and very traditional. It is easier for her to accept her subservient role, given her good fortune with a husband and many sons. Eventually her position is elevated to "Lady Lu," a respected community leader. However, she becomes limited in her ability to love Snow Flower. She can love her laotong "as a man would, valuing her only for following men's rules." Snow Flower, on the other hand, is a "horse with wings" who attempts to fly over life's constrictions. Now Lily laments that she didn't understand that "the bold horse of Snow Flower's childhood had been broken in spirit" by so much oppression. Lily was "stubborn enough to believe she could fix a horse that has gone lame." I have read all of Lisa See's novels and this is one of my favorites. I was really moved by the story of these two women and their fortitude living in such a terribly repressive, misogynistic environment. "Snow Flower and The Secret Fan" is a wonderfully rich historical novel. The in-depth character development is extraordinary. Ms. See's writing style is tight, fluid, and very descriptive. The author is a Chinese-American, (1/8 Chinese), and grew up in Los Angeles, spending much of her time in Chinatown. She has also traveled throughout China, to the modern cities and the most remote regions of the country. Lisa See has become one of my favorite authors. She has the unique ability to tell a tale while educating the reader. Very highly recommended - 5 Stars worth!!! Jana Perskie Peony in Love: A Novel On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family Shanghai Girls: A Novel --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3609039-snow-flower-and-the-secret-fan-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/3609039-snow-flower-and-the-secret-fan-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Greece* *Store origin: GR* *Last updated: 2026-11-11*