Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth century China. In her introduction to the novel, See writes that Lily, the narrator, was born in 1823 — "the third year of Emperor Daoguang's reign".[1] The novel begins in 1903, when Lily is 80 years old. During her lifetime, Lily lives through the reigns of four emperors: Emperor Daoguang (1820–1850); Emperor Xianfeng (1850–1861); Emperor Tongzhi (1861–1875); and Emperor Guangxu(1875–1908).
The novel received an honorable mention from the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature.
