Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Lensey Namioka Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)

Books

Movies

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Mystery/Thriller

Literature

Romance

Biography

History

Lensey Namioka Books	New book search	Lensey Namioka Message Board
Get more information about this book

Plot Summary of Ties That Bind, Ties That Break

"Ailin wants to get married. She wants to have the perfect husband, the perfect house, the perfect life. While her grandmother discusses her betrothal to Hanwei, a boy of 7, Ailin runs around barefoot, pestering everyone. She hasn't had her feet bound yet. At dinner, there is talk of change in China. Hanwei is being sent to a public school, cloth is being made by machines, and women are wearing skirts, a foreign fashion. That night, Second Sister shows Ailin her bound feet, and Ailin vows to never ever get her feet bound. Many attempts are made, but Ailin resists them all.
Ailin is accepted at a public school and for the first time, she meets the “big Noses,” or the foreigners. She is especially gifted at languages and picks up English very quickly. However, when her father dies, Big uncle decides to stop her schooling. Miss Gilbertson, Ailin's English teacher, continues to give Ailin free tutoring sessions. Big uncle soon makes a decision about her future: she can marry a farmer, become a concubine, or spend the rest of her years at a nunnery. Miss Gilbertson helps Ailin by setting her up with the Warner family. Mr. and Mrs. Warner are missionaries and they need an amah, or nanny, who speaks English to watch over their children. She accepts their offer to become their amah, and moves in with them. Ailin, now Eileen, as she is called by foreigners, teaches their two children, Billy and Grace, and watches over them. After three years, the Warners are going to go back to San Francisco, and they invite Eileen to come with them. She accepts.
America is different than anything Eileen has ever imagined. Will she be able to adjust quickly enough? Will she ever be able to go back to China? Will she ever feel like she belongs?
"
Katharine Schwab, Resident Scholar

Most similar books to Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan
Spilled Water by Sally Grindley
The Year My Life Went Down the Loo by Katie Maxwell
Angel of Mercy by Lurlene McDaniel
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Click here for more information about this book

Lensey Namioka Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:

Katharine Schwab

SCHOLARS:

Search for another book

Lensey Namioka

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani

Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Christina Crawford 9:31:53 AM
Martina Cole 6:40:33 AM
Michael Gerber 2:28:30 AM
Sue Grafton 10:19:22 PM
Jean M. Auel 9:54:07 PM
Gabrielle Zevin 9:13:10 PM
Andrew Clements 5:16:25 PM
Sister Souljah 5:04:57 PM
Danielle Steel 2:00:27 PM
Lisi Harrison 10:34:02 AM
Kate Brian 10:15:36 AM
Christopher Paolini 12:55:03 AM
Steven Pressfield 12:27:02 AM
Zane Grey 9:34:11 PM
Teri Woods 6:37:19 PM
Diana Marcellas 12:18:19 PM
Steven D. Salinger 12:09:22 PM
Lynn and Gilbert Morris 9:59:55 AM
Karen Armstrong 9:37:29 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 6:38:00 PM

More message boards

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break Lensey Namioka Book Review

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Lensey Namioka Book Review