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Quote by Lisa See

Work

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Random House Reader's Circle Deluxe Reading Group Edition): A Novel

This novel delves into the intricate relationships and societal norms of two women in 19th-century China, highlighting their bond and the customs that shape their lives. more

Author

Lisa See
Lisa See

Lisa See is an American Chinese author known for her works such as 'The Shanghai Girls' and 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'. Her writing often focuses on the history and culture of Chinese Americans and the Sino-American relationship. more

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“Lady, lady, never start Conversation toward your heart; Keep your pretty words serene; Never murmur what you mean. Show yourself, by word and look, Swift and shallow as a brook. Be as cool and quick to go As a drop of April snow; Be as delicate and gay As a cherry flower in May. Lady, lady, never speak Of the tears that burn your cheek- She will never win him, whose Words had shown she feared to lose. Be you wise and never sad, You will get your lovely lad. Never serious be, nor true, And your wish will come to you- And if that makes you happy, kid, You'll be the first it ever did.”

“In any war story, but especially a true one, it's difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen. What seems to happen becomes its own happening and has to be told that way. The angles of vision are skewed. When a booby trap explodes, you close your eyes and duck and float outside yourself. .. The pictures get jumbled, you tend to miss a lot. And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, there is always that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed.”