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YOUNG XING XING IS BOUND.
Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society.
But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.
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2008-09-15
2008-07-302007-10-31
2007-10-23
2007-08-232007-08-11YOUNG XING XING IS BOUND.
Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society.
But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.
A junior version of Amy Tan 2007-08-10
I read this book in the hopes of finding a quality book to include in my class library for those students who are not quite ready to read the Amy Tan novels I have included there. I found the book to be not as interesting and engaging as I had hoped. The basic story line is interesting, but seems to be lacking in some regard -- perhaps too superficial. I never really seemed to feel invested in the story or attached to the characters.
That being said, it would probably appeal to some of the readers in my class of 8th graders, most likely those with a lower reading level.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too 2007-03-22
Xing Xing is a young woman who is treated like the classic lower class stepchild in Donna Jo Napoli's BOUND.
Her mother died when she was very young and her father then remarried. The woman that takes care of her (if you want to call it that) is her father's new wife. Xing Xing has a stepsister who has bound feet and can't walk, so she is treated by her stepmother as though she were a maid.
The story is told in the classic tale of Cinderella, with the wicked step-family and the prince trying to find the girl who the missing shoe fits. There is even a great mix of Chinese culture thrown in! I learned a lot about the old (and now mostly) unused tradition of binding a girl's feet.
I enjoyed BOUND because I really love the Cinderella story. Xing Xing becomes a character that you want to see succeed and a girl whom you want to find a suitable husband. You care what happens to her and want to know how she survives her mean stepmother.
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector
BOUND 2007-03-15
This is one of my favorite books that I have recently read. It takes a couple chapters to get into the heart of the story, but once you learn about the life of Xing-Xing you can't put the book down. To read about someones life being so terrible and living somewhere that they are not wanted, it is very interesting to me. I am not living in that situation, and can't not fully comprehend what it would be like to live with a stepmother who doesn't want you. I enjoyed reading this book and learning about some of the chinese culture. Xing-Xing tries to live a noble life in honor of her parents who have both passed away. I was very happy with the ending, that with all the hard work Xing-Xing has done it pays off. I would definitely recommend this book to those who want to read about how living a good life can pay off in the end.
my amazing review 2006-11-06
How many of you have siblings? Well those who do can relate to this book. Do you remember when you thought your mother loved a sibling more than you? Well this is a reality for young Xing Xing; her step-mother does love her step-sister more. Xing Xing's mother and father died when she was young, and from then on she was forever forced to tend to her step-mother's and step-sister's every wish.'Bound' by Donna Jo Napoli was the Cinderlla story of a girl in ancient China. Donna Jo Napoli has also written 'Breath' and 'Beast' and many more. Even thought the customs are real and the places are real, this book is still fiction, furthermore it is historical fiction.
The title 'Bound' has many meanings; one, Xing Xing was bound to her father's second wife and daughter. Two, bound or destined to be unmarried with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Also, another meaning involving her step-sister; her step-sister's feet were being bound. In ancient China, women with large feet and unmarried women were frowned upon. Xing Xing's step-sister, Wei Ping, is having her feet boung during the novel, feet binding is a process in which one's feet are bound to break the toes in order to have smaller feet. Xing Xing is named 'lazy one' by her step-mother, when in reality she is the one doing all the work. She cooks, cleans, runs errands, and tends to her aggonizing sister.
When her father passed away, his last wish was for Xing Xing to take care of his spirit and her mother's spirit. Step-mother is not only cruel to Xing Xing, but also neglect to take care of their family's ancestors, which is wrong and will bring about bad luck for their fmaily. More than bad luck, Xing Xing is worried about disappointing her father,so she makes it her duty to tend to her parents' spirits. Many minor conflicts and struggles occur along the way; including an evil raccoon, a beautiful fish that may or may not be reincarnated as her mother and a beautiful ball that is held. At the time of the ball, Wei Ping, Xing Xing's step-sister, is trying to find a suitable husband. For some odd reason, Step-mother is being nice to Xing Xing and allowing her to go to the ball. Xing Xing knows step-mother is up to something, so she decides not to go with her. Later she sneaks out to the ball wearing her dead mother's dress and golden shoes. At the time of the ball is when the Cinderlla part kicks in. I won't give away the ending, but everyone knows every Cinderlla finds her Prince Charming. This is not the only major conflict; a reoccuring conflict is step-mother being cruel to Xing Xing and her mother's spirit and Xing Xing having to take care of the family when both step-mother and step-sister are ill.
I strongly recommend this book to girls because it a has a beautiful ending, but still has substance. The author spares the gruesome details of feet binding and other atrocities, however, does not try to cover them up. I really enjoyed this book and I learned alot about ancient Chinese customs. A few such as feet binding and their way of life. 'Bound' is a book i would recommned to any girl reader.
