Words of a Bibliophile

I liked the book better than the first Lisa See novel I've read, Peony in Love, though it took the story to a direction I didn't expect. The footbinding part was possibly the most gruesome I've read about the custom, but at the same time it's also the most truthful, presenting footbinding as it basically is: torture in the name of female objectification.

Sometimes it appears to me that Snow Flower and Lily's relationship has lesbian undertones, especially during their moment of teenage exploration. But their conflict and eventual break of friendship were realistically portrayed. I also liked the way the story is told through the eyes of 80-year-old Lily, sitting quietly, recalling her past with greater wisdom.