Ties That Bind, Ties That Break

Title: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Author: Lensey Namioka
ISBN: 9780385326667
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published: 1999
Binding: Hardcover
Language: English
Condition: Used: Good


Y 1634277

Publisher Description:
Third 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.