From the back cover:
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.

I think having studied Cinderella this semester for the class I'm teaching, including the Chinese version of the story, really helped me appreciate this book more than I might have otherwise. I greatly enjoyed how Napoli took the very short Chinese story and developed it into the tale of Xing Xing.

RELEASE NOTES:

on its way to Rosie who picked this out of the Teen VBB on BookRelay

Thanks karendawn!!

Reserved for appa who won it tonight in an ALS - will be mailed out with another book I owe her in a couple of weeks.

I very much enjoyed this version of the Cinderella story! Quick and intriguing read.

Mailing to appaloosatb Feb 19

This has arrived safely, thanks!

Great book! I ended up staying up late two nights in a row to finish it, I just couldn't put it down.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-12. Drawing from traditional Chinese Cinderella stories, Napoli sets this tale in a small village during China's Ming period. Since her beloved father's death, Xing Xing has become "hardly more than a slave," serving her acrimonious stepmother and pitiable stepsister, Wei Ping, whose botched, bloody foot binding has left her perilously unwell. A dangerous trip in search of medicine for Wei Ping brings Xing Xing into the wider world, but she returns to find home more treacherous than before. Napoli creates strong, unforgettable characters--particularly talented, sympathetic Xing Xing--and her haunting, sometimes violent tale amplifies themes from well-known Western Cinderella stories, making them fascinating questions: Could ancestors serve as "fairy godmothers"? In a society that so grossly undervalues females, what does "happily ever after" really mean? Teens and teachers will want to discuss the layered themes of freedom, captivity, love, human rights, and creative endeavor within this powerful survival story, which, like the yin and yang forces Xing Xing thinks about, balances between terror and tenderness, and is both subversive and rooted in tradition.

Mailing to yourotherleft from the Teen VBB. Enjoy!

After a "brief" detour to my parents' house in Pennsylvania (because keeping people and places aware of my current address when it changes every couple of months has become a losing battle...), this and the two others have arrived at their ultimate destination....me! =) Thanks, appa.

I really enjoyed this retelling of the Cinderella story. Xing Xing is an infinitely lovable character who is strong and true to herself even in the face of adversity. Her love for others and her parents' love for her (even from beyond the grave) add to this beautiful story.

Thanks for sharing this one in the teen VBB, Appa. Now, it's off to Ri.

I love well traveled BookObsessed books! Thanks, YOL!

This arrived yesterday. I have loved several other Donna Jo Napoli books and am looking forward to this one. Thanks! :)

Great one!

Sent today as part of a VBB at bookobsessed.com. Enjoy!! :)

Picked this up today! Thanks for sending AM!

Another Wonderful Napoli!

Next stop is SimplyCee from the International Wishlist Relay!

Thank you SO much for sharing this well traveled BC book with me :D I've been wanting to read it forever.