Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.
Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.
Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!
Title: Bound
Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Published: 2004
Length: 186 pages
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
YOUNG XING XING IS BOUND. Bound to her father’s second wife and daughter after Xing Xing’s father has passed away. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where the life of a woman is valued less than that of livestock. Bound to be alone and unmarried, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Dubbed “Lazy One” by her stepmother, Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful but compulsory tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content, for now, to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, to tend to the mysterious but beautiful carp in her garden, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society.
But all of this is about to change as the time for the village’s annual festival draws near, and Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family’s money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.
In this searing story, Donna Jo Napoli, acclaimed author of “Beast and Breath, ” delves into the roots of the Cinderella myth and unearths a tale as powerful as it is familiar.
How and when I got it:
I bought it at least 10 years ago.
Why I want to read it:
I don’t remember how I first heard about this, but I’m always up for a good fairy tale retelling, and the idea that foot bindings might have something to do with the Cinderella story sounds really intriguing. I’m looking forward to finally giving this book a try.
What do you think? Would you read this book?
Please share your thoughts!
__________________________________
Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:
- Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
- Add your link in the comments!
- If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
- Check out other posts, and…
Have fun!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Oh wow, this sounds so good! I know Cinderella has roots in China but, like you, I’d never considered the links between the Cinderella tale and the tradition of foot binding. I need to get my hands on a copy of this one!
https://jessticulates.com/2019/05/15/wyrdandwonder-shelf-control-27-this-week-in-books-15-05-19/
I have high hopes for this book! I’ve heard good things about the author too. 🙂
I haven’t read a book by this author in forever! This one sounds fun and it be short. I think I will give this one a shot at some point. Thanks matey!
x The Captain
Which of her books have you read?
I read zel, spinners, and daughter of venice. I remember liking all three even if I don’t remember any of the plots at this point. I will have to revist her work. Arrr!
x The Captain
I would definitely read this, foot binding as part of a Cinderella retelling?? Brilliant!
I thought so too. 🙂 Now I just need to find where I stashed my copy.
I did my first Shelf Control today! It’s a great meme 😀
Yay! So glad you’re joining in!
I like the idea of Shelf Control. I sure have a lot to choose from. I like books such as this. I like settings in China and foot binding has always been fascinating to me. Such a bizarre practice. I wonder if it still exists anywhere in China still.
Gosh, I don’t think so — I certainly hope not! It’s pretty horrifying to read about (and strangely, I’ve read at least two other books about it besides this one!)
I agree!