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Lily is haunted by memories — of who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of Snow Flower, and asks the gods for forgiveness.
In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion2, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu ("women's writing"). Some girls were paired with laotongs, "old sames," in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered3 messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby4 reaching out of their isolation5 to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments6.
With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace7, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
十九世纪的中国，女人必须裹足，生活与外界几乎完全隔绝。在湖南省一个偏远地区的妇女，发展出她们独特的沟通密码：女书。有些少女结盟为“女同”，如同精神上的婚配，情谊可延续一生。这些妇女在扇子及巾帕上绣写女书，并编唱故事歌谣，藉以互通心迹，从封闭的世界中暂时走出，分享彼此的希望、梦想和成就。
百合和雪花的关系，起始于一把丝扇上的邀约。她们年仅七岁便结为老同。随着时光转移，经历饥荒与叛乱，她们一同省思媒妁之言的婚姻、寂寞、以及为人母亲的欢喜和悲伤。两个女人在彼此身上找寻慰藉，延续成一种支持彼此生存的情感连结。然而一场误解的产生，让她们终生的友谊遭到崩解的威胁。
About Author
Lisa See is the author of Flower Net (an Edgar Award nominee), The Interior, and Dragon Bones, as well as the critically acclaimed8 memoir9 On Gold Mountain. The Organization of Chinese American Women named her the 2001 National Woman of the Year. She lives in Los Angeles.
冯丽莎出生于巴黎，在洛杉矶的华人街里长大。著作包括《花网》（Flower Net)、《本质》（The Interior）、《龙骨》（Dragon Bone)以为倍受赞誉的传记《在金山》（On Gold Mountain)。《花网》一书荣获推理文学爱伦坡奖提名。华裔美国妇女联盟推荐她为2001年全国杰出女性，并于2005年荣获南加州书商协会最佳小说奖。冯丽莎目前定居洛杉矶。
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