Author(s): Lensey Namioka

Fiction.

'We cannot expect our old customs to remain forever . . .' It's 1911 and Ailin is living in a time of great change in China. A headstrong, determined child, Ailin rebels against the horrifying ancient tradition of having her feet bound. As a result, the family of her future husband immediately breaks off the engagement. Ailin grows up realizing just how powerless a girl is in Chinese society. But then she is offered an opportunity that shocks her already estranged family and Ailin has to make a difficult, life-changing decision.