Freedom Unbound

I like to have a lot of variety in my reading material. Beyond adult fiction and non-fiction, I still find enjoyable and exceptional books that may be categorized as Young Adult or Children's titles.
They can be powerful, radical, intense, humorous, heartbreaking, and much more; they often appeal to my diverse tastes as a reader.

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka is a book shelved in the Young Adult section. It follows the life of Ailin, a young girl in 1911 China who refuses to have her feet bound. After watching her sister unwrap her bound feet, Ailin at the age of 5 realizes that not only is the traditional process painful, it will also take away her freedom. She is fortunate to have a supportive father, who can see the changes happening in the world and supports her independence and education, but the rest of her family is very insistent that the custom must continue, that she will never find proper husband with her "big feet". Through the book, Ailin learns just how far her spirit and determination will take her.

Footbinding was banned right around this time, although some continued the practice. There is an interesting and affecting piece from NPR called "Painful Memories for China's Footbinding Survivors" by Louisa Lim for further reading.