(4 / 5)This book has been on my list for a couple of years now and when my book club selected as their book of the month for December I was glad to finally have an excuse to read it. I actually didn’t know very much of what it was about when I put it on my TBR list; or even when I picked it up to begin reading, but I’m glad to say that I enjoyed it immensely. One of the books greatest strengths is the quick beginning. Sometimes it takes a while to get into a book-to set the scene and introduce the characters. It can take no small effort on the part of the reader but this book was quick to get going and make you comfortable. I also really appreciated that the author seem to be very conscious that this book would be read primarily by a western audience, she made the names of people and places very easy for the western reader. Still, she held true to eastern culture, practices, traditions and I enjoyed learning a bit about a time and place completely foreign to me. For example, the practice of foot binding is something I have a general but limited knowledge of but Lisa See gave me a feel for an insider‘s perspective and commitment to the practice.
Our main character Lily is neither a heroin nor a villain, she merely is a product of her culture and time. I liked, respected, and was disappointed in her. She felt authentic and believable. Her relationship with Snowflower was a beautiful, tragic thing and a good reminder about the fragility of friendships in my own life.
This is an excellent read for book club. There was a lot of material to discuss and a lot of themes to flesh out. I would especially recommend it if your book club likes to read (or wants to read) works about women in other cultures and/or time periods. I was very pleased I finally got around to this one
Violence:Medium Language: Low/Medium Adult Content: Medium