"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a beautiful portrayal of female friendship in 19th-century China. This book provides a unique insight into the cultural practice of foot-binding and the secret language of women. It is a moving story about the power of enduring friendship and the transformative nature of female relationships."

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• California Book Award for Fiction (Silver) (2005)
• Lincoln Award Nominee (2008)
• Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Adult Fiction Honor (2005)

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.

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