If you liked “Memoirs of a Geisha” (and who read it and didn’t like it?), you’ll almost certainly love “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See. Initially I thought the title sounded a bit juvenile, but once I started reading, I had a hard time putting it down.

Set in rural China, you get immediately absorbed into the sights and sounds of a culture that few of us even imagine where girls are rarely seen and not to be heard. Foot binding is central to the book and the descriptions of it will have you running to your computer convinced that the author must have her facts all wrong (how is it possible for a grown woman to have a 3 inch long foot?!). And yet, you’ll find plenty of evidence (and gross pictures, if you’re so inclined) that Ms. See did her homework as she wrote.

The characters are well developed and intriguing. The story continues to scupt itself in new directions as you read it. Ms. See did a great job of translating very different and foreign concepts (such as the traditional Chinese family culture) into concrete dialogue and situations that we can all relate to and sympathize with.

This is a great choice for people who like: women’s rights, historical fiction, Chinese culture, tiny shoes.

Other similar good books include: “The Kite Runner” (Afganistan in the 80′s and 90′s), “Pillars of the Earth” (England around 1100), “Plain Truth” (Amish) and “Outlander” (Scotland in the 1740′s).