Namioka (Den of the White Fox, 1997, etc.) offers readers a glimpse
of the ritual of foot-binding, and a surprising heroine whose life
is determined by her rejection of that ritual. Ailin is spirited -
her family thinks uncontrollable - even at age five, in her
family's compound in China in 1911, she doesn't want to have her
feet bound, especially after Second Sister shows Ailin her own
bound feet and tells her how much it hurts. Ailin can see already
how bound feet will restrict her movements, and prevent her from
running and playing. Her father takes the revolutionary step of
permitting her to leave her feet alone, even though the family of
Ailin's betrothed then breaks off the engagement. Ailin goes to the
missionary school and learns English; when her father dies and her
uncle cuts off funds for tuition, she leaves her family to become a
nanny for an American missionary couple's children. She learns all
the daily household chores that were done by servants in her own
home, and finds herself, painfully, cut off from her own culture
and separate from the Americans. At 16, she decides to go with the
missionaries when they return to San Francisco, where she meets and
marries another Chinese immigrant who starts his own restaurant.
The metaphor of things bound and unbound is a ribbon winding
through this vivid narrative; the story moves swiftly, while Ailin
is a brave and engaging heroine whose difficult choices reflect her
time and her gender. (Kirkus Reviews)
Third Sister in the Tao family, Ailin has watched her two older sisters go through the painful process of having their feet bound. In China in 1911, all the women of good families follow this ancient tradition. But Ailin loves to run away from her governess and play games with her male cousins. Knowing she will never run again once her feet are bound, Ailin rebels and refuses to follow this torturous tradition.
As a result, however, the family of her intended husband breaks their marriage agreement. And as she enters adolescence, Ailin finds that her family is no longer willing to support her. Chinese society leaves few options for a single woman of good family, but with a bold conviction and an indomitable spirit, Ailin is determined to forge her own destiny. Her story is a tribute to all those women whose courage created new options for the generations who came after them.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
