Quotes from Lisa See

How different it is with friendship. No one picks a friend for us; we come together by choice.

A friend without faults will never be found

I have heard that you should not do bed business after too much hard work, Snow Flower told me, but I don't believe that my mother-in-law has heard that. She looked exhausted. I felt the same way after visiting my husband's home-from the nonstop labor, from being polite, and from always being watched. This is the one rule my mother-in-law doesn't respect either, I commiserated. Haven't they heard an exhausted well yields no water?

or show any disrespect for male

A woman who helps others helps herself.

Everyone knows that the human body is a miniature version of the universe—the eyes and ears are the sun and moon, breath is air, blood is rain.

the four phases of a woman's life are the same

It's just that all those who had real value and honor in our family were women. For too long our daughters have been pushed aside. I thought that might change with you.

DR. ROSEN: Does the phrase grateful-but-angry have resonance for anyone? You can be grateful you have your mom and dad, because they love you and they've given you good lives with all kinds of privilege.

This will come when I can no longer bring children into the world—

BE KIND AND BENEVOLENT. MAKE A CASUAL STOP ON THE ENDLESS WAY TO THE FUTURE. and PUT ALL TROUBLES FROM YOUR MIND.

husband got pneumonia and

When she is in the sea, she's in the womb of the world.

Any daughter-in-law who lets the real truth of her life become public brings shame to both her natal and husband's families, which, as you know, is why I have waited until they were all dead to write my story.

Sons are the foundation of a woman's self. They give a woman her identity, as well as dignity, protection, and economic value. They create the link between her husband and his ancestors. This is the one accomplishment a man cannot achieve without the aid of his wife. Only she can guarantee the perpetuation of the family line, which, in turn, is the ultimate duty of every son.

attending USC or Occidental.

Parents die, daughters grow up and marry out, but sisters are for life. She is the only person left in the world who shares my memories of our childhood, our parents, our Shanghai, our struggles, our sorrows, and, yes, even our moments of happiness and triumph. My sister is the one person who truly knows me, as I know her. The last thing May says to me is "When our hair is white, we'll still have our sister love.

Every woman who goes into the sea carries a coffin on her back. In this world, in the undersea world, we tow the burdens of this hard life." Then I added a few words of my own. "Please be careful today and every day.

With her bold act, I realized the true purpose of our secret writing. It was not to compose girlish notes to each other or even to introduce us to the women in our husbands' families. It was to give us a voice.

She brags that she once earned one

I reach for my clothes

You are very smart. You must be very well educated. You are very pretty. You must be very rich because you're a writer.

Miss Zhao may be his mother by birth, but Respectful Lady not only is his ritual mother but has formally adopted him as her son.

plants and leave the bulbs in the ground, ignore ears of corn, or carelessly drop cabbage