inZone Books: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break (Reader's Workshop)

by Lensey Namioka

Book Overview

Ailin lives in China in 1911, and everyone in her family wants her to have her feet bound, but she refuses. Did she make the right choice? This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0736231498
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: National Geographic School Pub
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break.

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.

A Great Read!!!

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.

Fascinating subject, realistic fiction, great book for all!

This novel begins with a prologue set in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1925. Ailin is the young wife of a Chinese restaurant owner, and someone from her childhood past in China enters the restaurant. They begin to talk, and Ailin thinks back to what has led her to where she is today... In 1911, China was undergoing political and cultural changes. The empire was falling, and outsiders from the West were becoming more common. Namioka skillfully weaves this change through Ailin's story. Ailin is five, and not docile and quiet as upper-class girls should be. Her mother and grandmother feel it is time for her to have her feet bound, as she is now betrothed to the seven-year-old son of another wealthy family. But when Ailin sees how deformed and painful her older sister's bound feet are, she is shocked. Knowing she will not be able to run or even really walk again, Ailin protests. Her indulgent father allows her to keep her feet unbound, even though it results in the cancellation of her betrothal. Later, he enrolls her in a public school run by missionaries where she learns to speak English, unusual for girls at the time. However, before Ailin can graduate, her loving father dies, leaving her old-fashioned uncle as head of the family. He tells her that he can no longer afford to send her to school, and gives the twelve-year-old three unsuitable options, all remnants of the repressive past. She refuses them all, and is forced to come up with a way to support herself. The rest of the book takes Ailin to a world unknown to her, that of working class China, and later on a voyage to America. The details are realistic and Ailin develops strength of character from her experiences. An author's note at the end discusses the history of foot-binding and other customs that women worldwide have endured in the name of tradition or fashion. Indeed, it makes you wonder why people pierce or tattoo their bodies to fit into today's society. The book is aimed at teens ages 12 to 16, but I would even recommend it for adults. The subject is fascinating, there is great attention to historical detail, and the emotion shines through.

Rebelling against tradition

"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.

A Wonderful Escape to Another Place and Time

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!