I've waited altogether too long to write this, but here goes. My school library recently added a bunch of new books and have had them on display. This was one of them, and as a friend of mine had recommended it to me, I picked it up (though with admittted glee, as I love shiny new books).
At first I thought the reviews on the back must be overdoing it, with phrases to the tune of "hauntingly sad but beautiful" everywhere, but upon reading the book I have found them to be accurate. It is a beautifully written book, set in a cruel time for women. Foot binding, arranged marriages, death, obeying one's mother in law, nu shu... so many things I had never thought over fully or learned.
While it may be a story difficult to come to terms with, it is nonetheless beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, as the reviews allude. The details have grown a little fuzzy in the relatively short time since I read this, but I truly was kept on the edge of my seat and found fascinating this portrayal of a time period I know nearly nothing of.
I'll tell you one thing: I'm kind of disgusted at the movie Mulan now. I know Disney is known for it, but sheesh! Way to turn a truly horrible time in history into a wholly impossible adventure. Mulan would have had her feet bound, possibly died from it, spent her life in the women's chamber and been married off to an abusive man and his insulting mother. Then she might have died of childbirth, but even if she didn't her worth would only be somewhat solidified if she bore sons. I could go on, but I suppose I've had enough of a tangent for now.
I guess you could say this book definitely affected me.
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