Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

About “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth-century China. The story is told through the perspective of Lily, who was born on June 5, 1824, during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor. The novel opens in 1903, when Lily is 80 years old, and then recounts her life from birth to old age. Throughout her life, she experiences the rule of four Qing dynasty emperors: Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi, and Guangxu. The novel explores her personal experiences, relationships, and the historical context of her time. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)