Customer Reviews

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break

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Ties that bind, ties that break
By: Lensey Namioka

An excellent story about the true tradition and history of china. Taking us through this fascinating novel is the superb main character, Ailin Tao. As you get more into the book you learn to love, and admire Ailin, because of her braveness, and actions through out this great novel. I would recommend this amazing book to those people who like to read about true breaking stories. I believe the author wanted to intoduce us to this Chinese story by ushering us into a wealthy Chinese family, with a little 5-year-old girl walking us through her foot binding problems. Ailin has 2 sisters, a baby brother, mother and a father and grandmother that are the only two who really understand her best. Ailin is to be married to Hanwei Lui, which was organized by her grandmother, but was broken off when ailin refused to bind her feet. It seemed to Ailin that after the foot-binding incident everything went down hill, because of her grandmother's death.
Through out all this happening, Ailin starts going to a public school, which was very weird for Chinese girl to do. She has a great time leaning English and socializing with other people than the ones in her house. After her father dies of tuberculosis her malevolent, inferior Big Uncle is in charge of the family and will no longer pay the tuition for Ailin's school. To Big Uncle paying school for a GIRL is a waste. Now Ailin has to find a way to support herself because since her feet are not bound nobody will marry her, which means no one, is supporting her.
I hope you really enjoy reading this great page-turner!

"Ties That Bind, Ties That Break", by Lensy Namioka, was a great novel on a 1911, wealthy Chinese girl who rebells against the ancient Chinese tradition of foot binding - and learns the consequences.

Headstrong, playful Ailin, when 5 years old, is told she must begin to bind her feet. However, when she sees how her sister was crippled, she refuses, and her loving father said that she doesn't have to.

Later, when her father dies, her uncle becomes head of the household, and he gives now 12 year old Ailin three choices, since the boy she was betrothed to broke their engagement because of her unbound feet. But Ailin doesn't like the choices for a girl with "big" feet - she wants something more to do with her life.

This was a great book on a strong girl not so very long ago, and I'd recommend this book for ages 12 and up. I'd also definitely recommend "Shabanu", by Staples, about another girl who's against tradition, and must learn the consequences.

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break, by Lensey Namioka, is a moving story about a family's struggle to stay together through changing times. The story takes place in China during a revolution. Ailin, a Chinese girl whose age progresses through the story, wants to escape from a painful tradition of upper class Chinese society. When she tries to, she learns the consequences of her decision. Ailin tries to fix her life though she is no longer considered by her family to lead the old life of plenty that she used to. This book is a good story that moves quickly but at an understandable pace.

This book is a good way to get to know more about the Chinese culture. It clearly states the traditions of China. These include the social structure, how arranged marriages took place, and the type of schooling that both genders received. The social structure is shown by the way the upper class families choose only other upper class families for friends. Also, when Ailin's first amah is fired because she did not have the money to follow the Chinese traditions. The complexity of arranged marriages is explained when Ailin, at five, meets the first boy that she is supposed to marry. She talks with him and they get to know a little more about each other. Another tradition is the talk of less known Chinese foods. One of these is eight-jewel rice. Eight-jewel rice is a sweet rice dish that is usually served as a desert to the meal. Another good point about the book is the fact as the story progresses, so does the age of Ailin. As she grows older, her views in life change. She realizes that her family is not as perfect as she though it was when she was younger. She also learns about the hardships that her older sister has to face since her arranged marriage is not going as well as it was supposed to go. She learns to see people's personalities differently. She sees that her uncle, who made her younger years harder than they were supposed to be, had a lot on his mind that preoccupied him from treating her correctly. Ailin also grows more self-reliant. She stops depending on close friends and family to back her up in an argument. She also takes a job so that she can support herself if her uncle kicks her out of the house. Ailin also starts to carry out her own ideas alone. These and other good points make for an interesting read.

While Ties That Bind, Ties that Break is generally a good book, it does have a few flaws. One of these is the complexity of the story. There are an amazing number of characters that help to move the story along. While only one of these (Ailin), is the main character, the others are equally important and have their place behind her. Another confusing thing about the characters is that they each have their own personalities. Almost never do two characters have the same personalities. This book is still highly recommended because even though all of this is confusing at first; it also helps to make the story more interesting.

The Ties That Bind, The Ties That break is a tale set in China, the year is 1911 and it focuses on a playful little girl named Ailin. Ailin's marriage has already been arranged, but nothing is finalized until she has her feet bounded. An aged old tradition that has been done to her grandmother, her mother and even her sister. How will it feel? Does it hurt? Ailin wonders. One night she watches her sister unwrap her feet. She can't get over the smell. She decides she will not have her feet bound. With her father's support, Ailin has broken society's tradition. But, there are many consquences for this defiant act. There are many challenges Ailin will have to face. The Ties That Bind, The Ties That Break depicts how one young girl's determination alienated her from her family and changed her life forever. This book is good insight into the history of Chinese culture and is told is such a way that it is very hard to put down. The style of writing is very easy to read and the story flows naturally. The reader will definitely get a sense of having an insider's perspective to this aged old Chinese tradition. This book will surely be enjoyed by many readers including young people and adults. This book is also a great way to introduce mulitcultural issues to the young reader.

This book was one of the best books that I have ever read. It was definitely a page-turner. I wanted to know what would happen next to Ailin. Would her life start to take a turn for the better, or a turn for the worst? It was also really easy to concentrate on the plot of the story. This was because there weren't too many things going on at once, this allows you to follow the plot with ease. Through reading the book I learned something. I learned that it's not important what other people think. You do what you want in life and you can still come out on top. I recommend this book to anyone who may be curios about what Chinese foot binding was or anyone who is interested in the older times of China. Although, I would recommend this book more to girls.

The practice of foot binding has a long and contentious history. For centuries, Chinese women were purposely crippled by having their feet forced into tight little balls. This was done when the women were very young, and it began by pushing their toes toward the ball of their foot, and tightly binding them into place. Over time their feet were permanently deformed. Ostensibly, the reason for this practice was that tiny feet were prized in China as a sign of beauty. Only peasants left the feet of their daughters unbound.
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break takes place in China at the beginning of the twentieth century. The author, Lensey Namioka, tells about a young girl, Tao Ailin, who refuses to get her feet bound when her family tries to bind them at age five. The story goes along and follows Tao as she struggles to succeed in life at her own terms. The book shows how a simple action can effect and dictate someone's life.
The book is a wonderful representation of what middle-class life is like in the early twentieth century. Although written for a young adult audience, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break is suitable for all ages. It was a great and well-written book. It was short and sort of left you out on a limb at the end. I was hoping that the story would continue, it almost seemed like a part of the story was cut off. The characters seemed to be very well-thought out. Each person affected Tao in different ways and it was great how carefully Namioka shows that. It's also great how she shows a change in society. How even though when she was little, foot binding was how to show you were a proper young woman, by the end of the book, a character from Tao's childhood meets up with her and explains how China had changed.
Overall, Ties That Bind, Ties That Break is a a great historical novel. This story is written with amazing detail, emotion, and sense of reality. It brings to life the hardships of the thousands of women that had bound feet, and the few who resisted the cruel practice. As you get caught up in the story, you will forget all else. I highly reccommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic fiction novel.

The book took place in China back in 1911. Most of the story took place in Nanjing and in Shanghai, China. Ailin was born in a compound in Nanjing, China. At the time of the story she was only four years old and did not have her feet bound. You see back then if a girl did not have her feet bound then she could not be married. Ailin was to marry a boy by the name Hanwei liu. The marriage was called off because she refused to have her feet bound. As time went on Ailin got older and found out that not everyone was going to show her respect like her father did. Ailin had lost her grandmother and then about five years after she lost her father. Her Uncle was in control of the compound now, even though she did not want to admit to herself. She had to follow his rules and that meant no more public schooling. Once she stopped school, her English teacher gave her private lessons. She was forced by her uncle to take up a job, so she worked as a nanny for the Warners. The Warners had two children; a girl, age six at the time and a boy age five. Ailin worked for the Warners for three years and that's when she was asked to go to America. At the age of sixteen Ailin left China on a boat with the Warners. You see the Warners were missionaries who had a home in San Francisco, California. While on the boat she meets a guy by the name James Chew. His father owns a restaurant in San Francisco. The Warners decided to move back to Nanjing but this time Ailin wanted to stay. She was getting married to James and they were going to open their own restaurant.

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break tells the heart-breaking story of Ailin, a young girl living in China in 1911. When the strong-willed Ailin rebels against the tradition of foot binding, her future is altered forever. An arranged marriage falls apart and as all marriage hopes fade, Ailin studies English and finds her own opportunities for making a living. Namioka's clear and lyrical writing style takes us to another place and time, where we learn about one of China's most repressive customs and feel Ailin's struggle personally. A great read!

I'm very interested in 20th century Chinese history, and of course had heard of foot binding, but this book taught me a great deal about that custom, and told the fictional but realistic story of a girl who refused foot binding and how that affected her future. Interesting in the look at how both men and women kept this horrible custom going over time. I also wish this book had been longer!

This historical fiction story takes the reader to a horrible truth in Chinese tradition, foot binding. This practice involves the breaking of bones in one's foot to keep the size unnaturally small. Up to the 1930s, foot binding was a custom that existed in China among upper class girls. If they did not bind their feet, they would not be able to get a suitable marriage. The theme of courage starts when a young girl, named Ailin, is faced with the dilemma of following this painful practice. Ailin makes her fateful decision. By not binding her feet, her fiancé, Hanwei, could not marry her and she disgraces her family. The struggle to overcome an ancient Chinese practice takes Ailin on an eventful journey. When Ailin's father passes away, her uncle stops her education and gives her few options of what to do for the rest of her life. She asks her English teacher for help, as the choices her uncle gave her are harsh and cruel. She becomes a governess for an American family. There she looks after Grace, a six-year-old girl, and Billy, a five-year-old boy. Ailin's adventures lead her to America. We enjoyed this book because it shows how a young courageous girl rises above tradition and builds a fulfilling life of her own. This is a novel that one has trouble putting down and never wants to finish.