Ties that Bind, Ties that Break (Setting1)

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break is written by Lensey Namioka. It is a story about a young Chinese girl called Ailin. Living in China, circa 1900, she is expected to have her feet bound. However, she refuses to undergo the painful procedure. Ailin is an active girl, and she knows that having her feet bound will stop her from doing everything she likes to do: run and jump.
Obviously, the Tao's, Ailin's family, disapprove of her actions. They have followed the tradition for many generations, as have many other Chinese families. Then Ailin's sister shows Ailin what bound feet look like, and this strengthens her decision against having her feet bound. The Liu's have proposed marriage. Hanwei Liu is to marry Ailin. The two of them like each other immensely. However, the Liu's insist on having the wife's feet bound, like many other families at the time. This setting has a great influence on the development of the story in the book. However, the 1900's were still in the period when small feet were thought as beautiful, so Ailin is expected to bind her feet. If she doesn't, the Liu's will break the engagement. Ailin and Hanwei might be separated forever. This book uses the setting to build up the tension and attract the reader to keep reading.