Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a deeply personal look
into the lifelong friendship of two nineteenth-century Chinese
women--a friendship that began when they were paired together as
laotongs or 'old sames', what we might refer to as 'soul sisters'.
Lily and Snow Flower send messages back and forth, written in the
secret women's language of nu shu. Hidden in the folds of a fan or
on delicate handkerchiefs, the messages linked these two women
together in a friendship that was more powerful than a
marriage.
This wonderful, loving and tragic story of friendship and betrayal
will teach the reader much about Chinese traditions. The stunning
description of the lands, the sights and smells, paints vivid
images upon the reader's mind. But it is the loving friendship of
Lily and Snow Flower that will grip your heart and fill it with
yearning to have a laotong of your own. What a powerful and
emotional story!
~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of The River, Divine Intervention and
Whale Song