Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Bound, by Donna Jo Napoli is the story of Xing Xing, the orphaned daughter of a potter who must serve her conniving step-mother and step-sister. The book takes place during the onset of the Ming Dynasty (late 1400s). Readers will quickly recognize Xing Xing as Chinese Cinderella character; forced to work tirelessly at mind numbing duties and forever at the beck and call of her step-mother and sister.

Xing Xing’s only escape from brutality of her daily life is her calligraphy, poetry, and visiting a nearby pond where she believes the spirit of her mother has come back in the form of a gleaming white carp.

The book affords the reader a glimpse into the traditional Chinese view of women in society, “Stepmother was fond of repeating the popular saying 'Better one deformed son than many daughters wise as Buddha.' In both cities and villages newborn girls were often thrown away, their bodies eaten by dogs and rats." (Pg. 27). While Xing Xing’s mother and father may have been unconventional in their attitude and upbringing of their daughter – Xing Xing can read and write -- there is no escape from the realities that face Xing Xing. She has no honorable option in life but to marry.

Much of the book centers on the Chinese tradition of foot binding, the smaller a woman’s feet the greater her beauty and ability to attract a husband. Xing-Xing’s prospects for a husband are slim, she has no dowry, and her feet have not been bound.

The title, Bound, not only aptly describes the process of disfiguring young girls feet to achieve a warped beauty aesthetic, but it also illustrates the relationship Xing Xing has with her step-mother and sister and Chinese society in general. With no family, Xing Xing is tied to her family and their whims. As a girl Xing Xing is tied to the tight conventions of Chinese society, which do not afford women options beyond marriage and motherhood.

My one criticism of the book is the ending. All indicators at the beginning of the book led me to believe that I was reading a Chinese Cinderella story. I felt the book did a good job building up to the ending but I found the ending rushed and not fully developed. I didn’t fully believe that Xing Xing would find a prince that was willing to accept her as an equal.

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In the classroom:
From a teacher point of view I liked the rich detail the book provided about 14^th century China. Students would get a feel for the ways people of this time related to the spirit world and how it permeated every facet of their lives as well as dictated behavior, i.e. Stepmother arranges the screens in the room to create a path with right angles because demons and evil spirits cannot turn corners. Additionally, while foot-binding is barbaric, it is a fascinating tradition, one that invites lively discussions about what is considered normal, changing notions of beauty, as well as inviting students to investigate their own world views.

Lexile Level: 800
Grade Level: 7th grade and up