"Bound" by Donna Jo Napoli (published 2006)

"Bound" is a book that includes descriptions of Chinese history during the Ming times. The book is also a captivating story of a young woman living under the social conditions of that era, where most traditions deemed women as items to be used, sold, bought... and bound. During that time, many Chinese women were forced by their mothers to bind their feet tightly in cloth, as it was said that men were more attracted to tiny feet. The main character's half-sister, Wei Ping, has to undergo this "procedure", and Xing-Xing must witness this brutality happen while serving her step-mother (Wei Ping's mother) day and night. 

Xing-Xing is a student of the three perfections of China, which include poetry, calligraphy, and painting. During Ming times, however, a woman was more useful if she wasn't artistic. This cultural belief does not stop Xing-Xing from embracing her talents. She takes pleasure in dreaming up poetic lines and practicing calligraphy during her free time, and this ultimately leads her on a funny adventure with a medicine man named Yao Wang. Yao Wang is accused by government officials as a fake because of his more unorthodox ways of treating patients (giving them special amulets to look at, powders dissolved in rice wine...) but Xing-Xing surprisingly gets him out of this predicament. When Xing-Xing finally goes home from this journey, she realizes that her step-mother has taken something very dear to her away. Try as Xing-Xing might, she understands that there is no hope in giving credit and the benefit of the doubt to her step-mother, and Xing-Xing finally finds her own strength to confront her.

"Bound" is flooded with the superstitions of that period in Chinese history, such as elaborate tributes to the dead, the need to respect the life of the spirits that are around us, certain tasks to keep away demons... and more. Donna Jo Napoli writes as if these superstitions really do still matter because they might help those who need it get through hard times. One of the biggest connections to the "Cinderella" story this is based off of is that Xing-Xing longs for her dead mother's spirit. It should be known that some of the oldest known versions of the "Cinderella" story are taken from Chinese stories.