Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
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''Ties That Bind, Ties That Break'' is a young adult novel by
Lensey Namioka Lensey Namioka () ( or ; born June 14, 1929) is a Chinese-born American writer of books for young adults and children. She writes about China and Chinese American families, as well as Japan, her husband's native country. Early life and education ...
, published in 1999. The novel tells the story of a girl who defied tradition in China in the early 1900s and later moved to the United States. It received the
Washington State Book Award The Washington State Book Awards is a literary awards program presented annually in recognition of notable books written by Washington authors in the previous year. The program was established in 1967 as the Governor's Writers Awards. Each year, u ...
in 2000.Washington State Book Award 2000
/ref> A sequel, ''An Ocean Apart, A World Away'', follows the story of Ailin's friend, Xueyan.


Plot overview

Tao Ailin (also called Eileen), the main character of ''Ties That Bind, Ties That Break'', is born into the Tao family when China is in great turmoil. Her story is told in a flashback; as a young woman, she meets her childhood fiance, Hanwei, again and recalls how she became the wife of James Chew, a Chinese restaurant owner in California. In 1911, Aillin is a spirited girl from a strict family and is expected to have her feet
bound Bound or bounds may refer to: Mathematics * Bound variable * Upper and lower bounds, observed limits of mathematical functions Physics * Bound state, a particle that has a tendency to remain localized in one or more regions of space Geography *B ...
in preparation for marriage. Foreigners in China gradually erode the traditions of the Chinese empire by introducing Western philosophies; Ailin's father is one such man to perceive that the rules that have preserved the power of the
Chinese empire The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...
will not last much longer. When Aillin is five, she is engaged to Liu Hanwei, a 7-year-old boy who is to be educated in a Western school. They become friends, especially when Hanwei promises to teach her all the things he learns in public school. They are a well-matched pair and their families become close; Ailin is fortunate that her future mother-in-law genuinely likes Ailin. However, when the time comes for Ailin's feet to be bound, she refuses and the engagement is broken off. Ailin's father accepts Ailin's desire to keep her feet unbound, despite the fact it will make it harder for her to marry, and it will make life harder for her in general. When she grows older, her father sends Ailin to a Western public school called Macintosh, where Ailin learns many of the things that Hanwei once promised to teach her. Ailin is an exceptional student, especially in English lessons since she has the ability to imitate any language perfectly, and she finds a friend, a girl with unbound feet named Xueyan (also known as Sheila), a student who has ambitions to become a doctor. However, Ailin's education becomes a point of difficulty for the rest of her family, as educated girls are also undesirable for marriage and the school fees are expensive. Ailin's father dies of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
when she is twelve and she loses the only support she has in her family and cannot continue with school any longer. Unable to find a man willing to marry her, her uncle, her father's older brother and the head of the family since Ailin's grandmother died of a paralyzing stroke, offers her two choices: she either becomes a concubine by marrying a farmer, or becomes a nun. Ailin chooses none of the given options and is thrown out of the family, saved from her uncle's wrath only out of his respect and love for Ailin's father. With the help of her English teacher, Miss Gilbertson, Ailin finds work as an amah (governess) for the Warners, an American family. When the Warner family moves briefly to the United States, Ailin leaves Shanghai with them with the blessings of her uncle. While on the boat, Ailin has to take care of the Warner kids. On the boat to California, Ailin meets a young man named James Chew and they fall in love. When the Warners decide to return to China, Ailin chooses to remain in California to marry James and help him run his restaurant. Years later, Hanwei appears in the restaurant, reunited with Ailin for the second time since their engagement was broken. After Ailin relates her story to Hanwei, he reveals that his mother, who broke off their engagement, eventually relented and would have let Hanwei marry Ailin and she could have lived in comfort. While Ailin admits her life has not been easy, she is happy and proud of the choices she made in her life.


See also

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References

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External links


Reviews: ''Ties that Bind, Ties that Break''
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. 1999 American novels 1999 children's books American children's novels American young adult novels Children's historical novels Novels about immigration to the United States Novels set in the 20th century Novels set in the Qing dynasty Children's books set in China Children's books set in the 1910s Children's books set in California