Friendship

Here's two very different books which both have the concept of friendship woven into them. First, Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I was dying to read this one because I absolutely loved Peony in Love by the same author. I'm sure it was the hungry ghosts that facinated me because even though the story of Snowflower was very moving and it did captivate me, I didn't find it as extraordinary.

Lily lives in 19th Century China in a poor farming family. Her life turns around when it becomes obvious that her feet have potential! What this means is that her feet can be shaped into the most beautiful lily feet with footbinding and thanks to this she has the possibility of securing a successful marriage contract. I'm always interested to read about footbinding, it's difficult to imagine anyone surviving something so painful. The girls go through the ordeal which takes years. Imagine what the girls in China went through to please men and secure their marriages!

Because of Lily's beautiful feet, a laotong match is made with two girls - Lily and Snowflower. Snowflower is a girl from a wealthy family who is to educate Lily into a more refined lifestyle. Laotong means "old same" and old sames are girls of the same age who are expected to marry successfully. They are to be of support to each other while trying to navigate through life. The girls start their friendship by writing secret messages to each other in nu shu. Nu shu is an ancient language the Chinese women created to communicate with each other. Nu shu is in an important role in the book, binding the girls together and later causing a misunderstanding that threatens to break their bond forever.

Lily guides you through a story of courage, love, heartbreak and friendship. Lisa See never fails to captivate!

True Murder by Yaba Badoe you should not miss! I'd never heard of Yaba Badoe and I can't remember where I found this book but it's a gem. Ajuba is a pre-teen from Ghana who is left at a boarding school in the UK after her mother's mental breakdown. Ajuba becomes friends with the new girl Polly, who introduces Ajuba to her beautiful and glamorous family. One day the girls are rummaging in the attic at Polly's house and discover what is first thought of as kittens bones. The mystery of the bones bond the girls together even tighter and soon tragedy enfolds.

I loved how Badoe captures what Ajuba is feeling and her emotional turmoil. It's quite amazing. Also the twists in the book and the tension will keep you glued and burning the midnight oil.