The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang

I enjoyed this book on two levels. It is set in the 1800's in China, at a time when the role of women was shifting. Tightly bound feet, or “golden lilies,” are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich dowry and even bloodline in the marriage stakes, but they are also like chains, as bound feet made it very hard to walk, and so women were almost literally tied to home. The book is set in the time between when bound feet were valued and when they were seen as ancient rather than modern. This is the story of two women and gives some insight into the corrosive effects of power over another has on both parties. When Little Flower is sold as a maidservant—a muizai—to Linjing, a daughter of the prominent Fong family, she clings to the hope that one day her golden lilies will lead her out of slavery. Not only does Little Flower have bound feet, uncommon for a muizai, but she is extraordinarily gifted at embroidery, a skill associated with the highest class of a lady. Resentful of her talents, Linjing does everything in her power to thwart Little Flower’s escape. The only thing she has that puts her at an advantage over Little Flower is that she owns her--and she clings to that in a very Mean Girl way. When scandal strikes the Fongs, both women are cast out to the Celibate Sisterhood, a charitable institution where Little Flower’s artistic prowess catches the eye of a nobleman. His attention threatens not only her improved status, but her life—the Sisterhood punishes disobedience with death. It is a book where the issue of power and control are repeatedly utilized to worsen the lives of those who have it and those who do not.