When I went to listen to this audiobook, it was no longer on the shelf app. I didn't think that the audiobooks disappeared from the app.

I was able to enjoy the ebook and write a review.

The Lotus Shoes is a perfect choice for a newly formed book club. There are layers and themes, but the book unpacks them with the reader as the story unfolds. It isn’t subtle about what it’s trying to communicate. This makes it ideal for a for a group to get their bearings for what type of discussions they want to have with ready topics to chose from. 
I appreciated being able to engage so readily with the narrative, but I think readers that crave more of nuance might find it too direct.

Plot - 5
Writing and Editing - 3
Character Development - 4
Narration - 5
Personal Bias - 4
Final Score - 4.2

Netgalley arc

What a fantastic examination of tradition, modernity, and encroaching western influence in China. Poor Little Flower goes through so much but remains a strong souls who gets the live she really deserves in the end. Lin Jing's growth was stunted by her own hands and when she finally gets it she really evolved it a real woman. I feel like I learned a lot about the dynamics of being a woman in China during this period. Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction!

Did Not Finish - stopped at 33%. The plot was stagnant and the two main characters were not interesting.

I enjoyed this one start to finish. All of the characters were well thought out and easy to stay engaged with. The story was interesting and the world building was well done.

Narration was beautifully done.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
I loved this epic historical fiction story set in 1800's China. It's really a class study centered around foot binding and it's effect on two girls/women. It's a challenging relationship, but I felt the character development, reserarch and description of the time and place was very good. I love Asian historical fiction so this was right in my sweet spot.

The narrators, Catherine Ho and Katharine Chin, did a great job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, with what expression/intension.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, NetGalley, and author Jane Yang for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Lotus Shoes is out January 7, 2025.

I tried. I really did try to like this book. I read the ebook version. I listened to the audio. I wanted to love it because everyone else was enjoying it so much. But I couldn't connect with these characters or this story, which was extremely slow and uninspiring. I enjoyed the audio, which added a new dimension to the story with the language and pronunciation, but I still could not seem to get invested in the story, which saddens me. I know that this is a good book for many. It just wasn't the right book for me. DNF at 40%.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc.

i would have rated this much higher, but linjing’s jealousy and hatred towards little flower the entire story got old really fast.

as for the narrators, they both did a fine job!

This book will take you back to 1800s in China. Back then reality was unsettling and unacceptable. Since decades, women are going through never ending pain for men. Have you read about foot binding? Such a pain was given to children in the name of beauty, and the mark of an honorable woman. Women are not oblivion to injustice and betrayal. Author has shared a poignant account of two women who have grown up together and gets stuck with each other. While one is envious of the other. Their fates get intertwined though. I felt sad for both of them. But for little flower more. She had such a difficult life and hard time trusting people. While Linjing’s character was flawed. This is a character-driven book and it will definitely appeal to historical fiction lovers. I loved the narration. The book was gripping, poignant, and unputdownable. This is a beautiful and haunting story of friendship, betrayal, society norms, and complexities of human nature. I liked the ending.

Many Thanks to the Publisher, Narrator, and Author.

“Golden Lillies” (tightly bound small feet) were coveted by young women hoping to attract a marriage partner. Little Flower had her feet bound and had her dreams upended when a tragedy forced her family to send her off as a maidservant to the Fong family. There, Little Flower is treated cruelly by her mistress, Linjing, who is envious of her bound feet and her needlework skills.

When a scandal befalls Linjing, the two women are thrust into a new reality. But Linjing can’t seem to overcome her jealousy or her need to show her superiority over Little Flower which lead to dire consequences.

This novel is perfect for readers who enjoy Lisa See’s novels. It gives us a peek into China in the 1800’s and into the motives that led women to go to desperate lengths just to get married. I enjoyed this novel very much in both print and on audio.

Thank you to @parkrowbooks , @netgalley and @harlequin_audio for a #gifted audio version of this novel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for my copy of The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang Narrated by Catherine Ho; Katharine Chin in exchange for an honest review. It published January 7, 2025.
First off, both narrators did an excellent job!
I found this story to be so compelling, I did not want to stop listening to it from the first chapter! I really appreciated the way that Golden Lilies versus big feet were explained, and that you could see it from several points of view.
I enjoyed also how this was a sweeping saga over several years, it really gave you time to get to know the characters, and the overall story to develop.
If you love historical fiction, definitely give this one a go!

This was an incredible story of two women bound by the confines of tradition and societal norms. The relationship between Little Flower and Linjing was fraught with heartache and betrayal and yet a tentative friendship weaved from circumstanece. Against the backdrop of a changing world, the two women struggle to better their situations despite being bound to one another. This story had me on the edge of seat as my heart ached for Little Flower and all that she had to endure. I couldn't get through the end of this book fast enough to see what fate had in store for both LIttle Flower and LInjing! Great read!

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑳𝑶𝑻𝑼𝑺 𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑬𝑺 𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒀𝒂𝒏𝒈 is a lush historical fiction epic that took me right into 1800's China, thanks to @htp_hive @harlequin_audio & @netgalley!

I was so glad I got to listen to Catherine Ho and Katherine Chin narrate this fascinating story. The dual narrators made it so easy to go between Little Flower and Linjing from their youth to adulthood.

Little Flower is sold to be Linjing's maid while they are both children. Little Flower is bereft but does her best to excel, but her bound feet bring deep jealousy and a seed of bitterness to Linjing, as her father is trying to set her up to be more progressive. This sets up years of competition and power plays between the two that follow them into a shared turn of Fates and beyond.

I was quite taken by this story and all of its cultural class system references. I was very intrigued by the women only Sisters and had never heard of a group like this in China. I feel like I learned quite a bit more than just the bound feet lore, and really appreciated it. I did struggle with Linjing. Without spoilers, I just had hoped for more but it did make the story heartbreakingly real. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you haven't given this January 7th release a chance yet, I do recommend this historical epic, especially in audio!

At the age of 6, Little Flower's mother sells her to the Fong family. She is to be a muizai (or slave) to take care of the first daughter of the family, Linjing. Prior to the sale, Little Flower's mother had been binding her feet. It was the only way she'd ever secure a place in society, she said. Jealous of Little Flower's bound feet, Linjing ensures that she will grow up without golden lilies and have big feet like her. It is the first of many injuries Linjing causes Little Flower as they grow. Despite the scandal that uproots their lives, Linjing's selfishness knows no bounds, and she'll do anything to keep Little Flower by her side, ensuring that her life is always easy, no matter the circumstances.

While I do enjoy historical fiction, I am also a mood reader, and it took me some time to get to this and through it (not surprising considering what I knew about the book). I wish I could say I tried very hard to like Linjing, but, honestly, she is so deplorable through almost this whole book that she's very easy to dislike. Little Flower, on the other hand, was such a tragically sympathetic character, and my heart went out to her time and time again. It's a mark of strong writing that Yang got me to feel so differently and yet so strongly about both these characters. This wasn't an easy read, but I'm glad I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Catherine Ho and Katharine Chin were great narrators. They really brought the characters to life.

4.5 stars

I loved this book! The story follows two girls (who become women) in 1800s China, one of whom is a servant to the other, whose lives and fates get wrapped together through a series of events. Neither of them have bound feet and the importance of shoes and foot binding in the culture to show social class is a big theme in the book. Neither of them have bound feet and the importance of shoes and foot binding in the culture to show social class is a big theme in the book. In the second half, which I especially enjoyed, they leave the palace environment and their relationship changes and that's an especially fantastic part of the book. It's hard to share too much about the plot because there are some pretty important twists, but I found the book to be extremely engaging, occasionally brutal, and to teach poignant lessons about friendship, class and honor.

The writing is interesting enough to keep me engaged but not flowery enough to be distracting. I listened on audio and the narrator was great, but I think the written book would have been great too. I related to both of the primary characters at different times. I've read some other books with similar subject matter, including Lady Tan's Circle of Women and this my favorite. I'm looking forward to reading more from Jane Yang!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for providing an advance review copy for unbiased review.

I adored this story and its themes of friendship, redemption, and forgiveness. The historical details were fascinating, and I enjoyed learning about China's conflicting desires to hold onto ancient traditions while keeping pace with Western culture. The plot moved nicely, and although one character was difficult to like, I think she showed growth by the end.

What a great book! You do not want to miss this story that will show you life in China..

This book is about two women who grow up together, with one being a slave to the other, in 1800s China. There is a lot of information about young girls and women and the need to have very tiny feet. I had no idea. It was sheer torture. These two women endure twists and turns in their relationship and life that are both good and sad.

The story was so-so. Of the two main characters, I don't understand why the "companion" kept putting up with the other crap and that in the end it only took one thing to make everything else that happened okay. Dumb.

Reading Historic Asian fiction is always fascinating as the culture is so bound in tradition and hierarchy. This story of two women in 1800's China is no exception. I was drawn into this story right away as it begins with the story of Little Flower, who as a result of family tragedy, is sold to a life of service to others as a way to spare her family from hardship. Every culture has its dark past but the Chinese culture has some particularly brutal customs and traditions that are difficult to read about where true status is not achieved until you reach upper hierarchy of MIL if you are lucky enough to have a son born to you. This story had so many subtle twists and turns and decisions are made along the way. Little Flower who has very little autonomy around decision making manages to seize every opportunity to control her fate within the confines of the hand she was dealt. This story captivated me throughout and wrapped up with a powerful breath-holding climax. I have not given a five star review in some time! Highly recommend.

Thank you for the ARC of this book. This story gives an interesting historical tradition that you heard about. I loved the dual POVs of these two women. The written was perfect.