Ties that Bind, Ties that Break: A NovelThird Sister in the Tao family, Ailin is just 5 years old during a time of great change in China, when Western philosophies are creating a wave of revolutions and the empire is crumbling. More spirited than her older sisters, Ailin rebels against the age-old, torturous tradition of binding young girls' feet. When, as a result, the family of her intended husband breaks the marriage agreement, Ailin feels no remorse. But as she enters adolescence, her family is no longer willing to support her. She realizes for the first time just how powerless a well-bred girl with no prospect of marriage is in her society. But Ailin is not going to follow that society's traditions. She not only can read and write in Chinese, she learns English and, when offered an opportunity that shocks her already estranged family, Ailin is faced with yet another decision that may further alienate her from her family, duty and her country. |
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afraid Ailin amah America asked become a teacher began big feet Big Noses Big Uncle Big Uncle's bound feet cheongsam China Chinatown Chinese women cloth concubine Confucius cook courtyard cousins dinner door Eileen English eyes face family school Father feet bound felt foot binding girl Grace and Billy Grandfather Grandmother Grandmother's grown-ups hands hard head heard houseboy Hua Mulan James Chew knew laughed Little Brother looked loved MacIntosh School maids married meal Miss Gilbertson Miss Scott moon cakes Mother Nanjing never parents public school realized remembered restaurant rice rickshaw San Francisco Second Sister seemed servants shook smile spent stared stop Suddenly talk Tang Dynasty Tao family teaching tell things thought told took tried turned voice walk wanted Warner woman Xueyan young 不要纏足 不要足