Publication Date: January 7, 2025
“[E]xpert plotting and nuanced historical details result in an exceptional story that enchants from the first page to the last.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
“Brilliantly written, masterful storytelling, and hard to put down. This story will stay with me for a very, very long time.” —Heather Morris, #1 bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz
An empowering, uplifting tale of two women from opposite sides of society, and their extraordinary journey of sisterhood, betrayal, love and triumph.
1800s China. Tightly bound feet, or “golden lilies,” are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich dowry and even bloodline in the marriage stakes. When Little Flower is sold as a maidservant—a muizai—to Linjing, a daughter of the prominent Fong family, she clings to the hope that one day her golden lilies will lead her out of slavery.
Not only does Little Flower have bound feet, uncommon for a muizai, but she is extraordinarily gifted at embroidery, a skill associated with the highest class of a lady. Resentful of her talents, Linjing does everything in her power to thwart Little Flower’s escape.
But when scandal strikes the Fongs, both women are cast out to the Celibate Sisterhood, where Little Flower’s artistic prowess catches the eye of a nobleman. His attention threatens not only her improved status, but her life—the Sisterhood punishes disobedience with death. And if Linjing finds out, will she sabotage Little Flower to reclaim her power, or will she protect her?
Young Chinese girls were once taught that binding their feet would give them perfect four-inch golden lilies, enabling them to get a good marriage.
That concept serves as the theme for The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang. The story begins with Little Flower, a poor little girl sold by her mother as a personal maid to Linjing, a well-born lady’s daughter. Her only hope is that her golden lilies will one day make her eligible for marriage.
The story is told from two alternating perspectives—Little Flower and Linjing. Their personalities are polar opposites, with Little Flower showing great skill at embroidery while Linjing resents any sort of praise her maid receives. The contrast becomes even more stark when the issue of foot-binding is raised upon Linjing’s betrothal. As the storyline progresses, the intensity accelerates.
It’s a gut-wrenching storyline that showcases the vast chasm between the social classes in the 1800s. Even though Little Flower is more accomplished in many ways, Linjing seems to always come out on top. An added plot twist serves up some flavorful drama.
The Lotus Shoes easily nabs a top spot on my 2025 keeper list with its ability to capture my attention, even after the last page was read.
Jane Yang was born in the Chinese enclave of Saigon and raised in Australia where she grew up on a diet of superstition and family stories from Old China. Despite establishing a scientific career, first as a pharmacist and later in clinical research, she is still sometimes torn between modern, rational thinking and the pull of old beliefs in tales passed down through the family. She lives in Australia with her family.
