Revised Fairy or Folktale

Bound (2004) by Donna Jo Napoli; Published by Thorndike Press
3 stars
This is the Chinese Cinderella story. In the tradition of the familiar tale, there is a girl named Xing Xing who is abused by her stepmother. Xing Xing has reduced marriage prospects because her feet are unbound. Binding feet is a process imposed on young girls in ancient China to prevent their feet from growing further and keeping them small. [The traditional reasons for doing this unknown to me although I have heard that the small, painful steps that young girls had to make because of this process (as well as possible foot fetishes on the part of certain men) were the reasons for this now outlawed practice.] Although Xing Xing is bound to her stepmother and her halfsister (who Xing Xing must care for since her sister underwent the painful binding process too late and therefore can hardly walk) but finds joy in cultivating her talents of poetry and calligraphy and communicating with a fish who may or may not be the reincarnation of her dead mother. However, things soon take a turn in the traditional Cinderella fashion.
Although Napoli accurately conveys many details of ancient Chinese life, the ending was a little too unrealistic and happily ever after (i.e. I'm sure the "prince" in this story isn't really as wholesome as he seems since many Chinese monarchs usually had hundreds of concubines to choose from) after so much realism. However, like all Cinderella stories (an ancient Chinese Cinderella story actually exists and may be older than the Grimm one), this is still a fairy tale and requires a fairy tale ending. I appreciated Napoli writing a postscript at the end of the book, detailing the Chinese Cinderella fairy tale traditions as well as giving some factual background on the emperor that she based the prince on. The book is not that fast paced but it provided an interesting perspective on the Cinderella story and the meaning of freedom in a society that often "bound" its females to painful traditions and undervaluation. This book would be suitable for all ages although its length and sometimes lengthy descriptions would make it suitable for those 13 and up.