The Lotus Shoes
The captivating historical debut for fans of GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 28 Jan 2025
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
THE CAPTIVATING, HEART-RENDING STORY OF TWO WOMEN IN 1800S CHINA
'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?
'Jane Yang is an exciting new talent' SANTA MONTEFIORE
'More than a book, this novel is an act of empowerment for women' NGUYEN PHAN QUE MAI
'Enchants from the first page to the last' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, STARRED REVIEW
'Captivating and exquisitely rendered' MELISSA FU
'If you liked Memoirs of a Geisha, then you will love The Lotus Shoes' SORAYA LANE
'I devoured this stunning debut' ALKA JOSHI
'A hugely talented writer whose storytelling prowess fully immerses the reader' NATASHA LESTER
'I enjoyed every single page of The Lotus Shoes' ELIZABETH CHADWICK
'You'll love it' MANDY ROBOTHAM
'Stunning, transporting, unforgettable' AMANDA GEARD
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Yang debuts with a fascinating portrayal of ambition and cruelty in 19th-century China. Little Flower, a young woman with bound feet, is sold to the Fong family and forced to serve their spoiled daughter, Linjing, who comes to feel threatened by her mother's affection for Little Flower. Part of Little Flower's appeal lies in her bound feet, or "golden lilies," which are coveted by members of the upper class. She also charms with her embroidery skills. Both attributes are bruising to Linjing, as her feet were never bound and her own embroidery pales in comparison. In retaliation, Linjing forces Little Flower to destroy a beautiful wedding quilt that took her two years to complete. Still, Little Flower attempts to please Linjing, hoping to remain in the family's good graces and eventually make a good marriage. Yang skillfully depicts the tension between the two women, and even manages to evoke sympathy for the vindictive Linjing after her betrothal ends in a scandal that causes the two women's fates to be linked. Yang's expert plotting and nuanced historical details result in an exceptional story that enchants from the first page to the last.
