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The Lotus Shoes
- Narrated by: Gabby Wong, Katie Leung
- Length: 10 hrs
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The Lotus Shoes
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Summary
'Brilliantly written, masterful storytelling, and hard to put down. This story will stay with me for a very, very long time' HEATHER MORRIS, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Love and loss. Sisterhood and betrayal. Little Flower and Linjing's fates are bound together.
As a child, Little Flower is sold to Linjing's wealthy family to become a muizai. In a fit of childish jealousy over her new handmaiden's ladylike bound feet and talent for embroidery, Linjing ensures Little Flower can never leave her to ascend in society.
Despite their starkly different places in the Fong household, over the years the two girls must work together to secure both their futures through Linjing's marriage. As the two grow up, they are by turns bitter rivals and tentative friends.
Until scandal strikes the family, and Linjing and Little Flower's lives are unexpectedly thrown into chaos. Linjing's fall from grace could be an opportunity for Little Flower - but will their intertwined fates lead to triumph, or tragedy for them both?
Critic reviews
'A captivating and exquisitely rendered novel that spans the last decades of 19th century China, as the country began its complex transition from a closed, imperial power to a modern nation, embracing Western ideas and influences. With deep research and elegant storytelling, The Lotus Shoes offers a fascinating look at the traditions of foot-binding, muizai, filial piety, and polygamy. For me, the centrepiece of the novel was the emotionally rich relationship between Linjing and Little Flower as it evolves over a lifetime and through multiple turns of fortune. I was invested in their story from the first page until the very last words. I so enjoyed this beautiful book' (MELISSA FU, author of PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING)
'I devoured this stunning debut. Yang's fascinating glimpse into 1800s China, the power plays between multiple wives in a wealthy household, the fixation on prized golden lotuses, and the heroine's exquisite embroidery 'painting' held me spellbound. I can't wait to recommend this novel to everyone I know!' (ALKA JOSHI, author of THE HENNA ARTIST)