To Read & To Write

"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 durin...