Q&A With Jane Yang 

I was so happy and honored to get a copy of Jane Yang’s debut historical fiction novel The Lotus Shoes & finished it in a week! I’m equally happy and honored to be doing this Q&A with Jane! 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Jane & thank you for sending me a copy of your novel! For those who haven’t read The Lotus Shoes, would you please give a brief description of it? 

A: The Lotus Shoes orbits around Little Flower and Linjing’s relationship. At six years old, Little Flower is sold into Linjing’s wealthy family to become a slave maid. At that time, bound feet (golden lilies) were a sign of class and respectability, only the poorest women had natural feet. Out of jealousy for Little Flower’s ladylike bound feet and talent for embroidery, Linjing makes sure she can never leave her to ascend into society. When they’re eighteen scandal strikes the family and their fortunes are suddenly reversed. They are forced to join a Celibate Sisterhood, an under explored feminist movement that allowed women to reject marriage. After taking a Sor Hei (celibate vow), all women in the sisterhood must safeguard their chastity—any woman who lost her virginity would be thrown into a bamboo cage designed for pigs and drowned in a river. This Sor Hei movement originated from the Pearl River Delta, in Southern China, where my ancestors came from. 

The Lotus Shoes is a story about sisterhood, freedom and love. 

Q: In reading your Authors Note, you mentioned a little bit of your family history on both sides of your family and about the research you did for The Lotus Shoes. How many years did it take you to research and write The Lotus Shoes?

A: I wrote The Lotus Shoes over about seven years, with a three-year hiatus in between, so it’s difficult for me to estimate the time it took. At the beginning I had pre-school children, so I wrote in snatches of time: whenever they were napping or early in the morning before they woke. I also wrote many drafts and each time the storyline changed, new research would be needed.  Overall, my debut is the product of thousands of hours but it’s all worth it!

Q: Which scenes did you enjoy creating the most in The Lotus Shoes? I could picture the embroidery that Little Flower did and could see the beautiful colors. My favorite scene was the epilogue. 

A: The epilogue was quite magical for me—it kind of flew into my mind, like a homing pigeon, and I wrote it in one sitting. Usually, I’ve to struggle, make several attempts before I land on the right approach. The scene where Noble unbinds Little Flower’s feet arrived in a similar manner, so I really like it, too. Also, I felt especially emotional as I wrote it: to me, it was a huge test for Noble. Until then, Little Flower didn’t really believe he could overlook what she considered to be her biggest shame. 

In general, I also really enjoyed writing Linjing’s chapters: her almost complete lack of self-awareness is so different from most people in my life that I had a lot of guilty delight in conjuring different ways for Linjing to exhibit her character flaw. 

Q: What do you hope readers come away with once they finish reading The Lotus Shoes? 

A: Little Flower and Linjing’s unique relationship is one that occasionally mimics the intimacy of sisters, but it could never flourish due to the seismic imbalance of power between their social standings. The need for equality is central to their relationship: until Linjing treats Little Flower with respect, genuine friendship remains out of reach—a universal theme that is as relevant today as it was in 1800s China. In the absence of a balance of power, no two people can establish a truly meaningful relationship, be that between friends or lovers: this is the message I hope readers will take away with them. 

Q: How does it feel getting such high praise for The Lotus Shoes by several authors, some of which are Madeline Martin, Natasha Lester and Elizabeth Chadwick? (I also interviewed Madeline and Elizabeth). 

A: I was blown away by the praise: honestly, I did not expect any of it. Actually, I was quite terrified that I would struggle to get any author to blurb The Lotus Shoes. In particular, I thought high-profile authors like Madeline, Natasha and Elizabeth would be far too busy to read a debut from someone who they didn’t personally know. In the lead up to publication, their praise was such a boost of confidence for me, especially when I have doubts. They’ve been so generous with their time and praise – words can’t express my gratitude. 

Q: Can you reveal any details about book 2? Has writing book 2 been an easier or harder experience compared to writing your debut? 

A: I have almost finalized my next novel—the story has two interwoven perspectives and timelines. 

In 1906 Shanghai, amber-eyed Scarlet is the daughter of a Chinese woman and an English physician. Aside from her unusual eye colour, Scarlet feels as plain as a sparrow with little hope of inspiring romantic love. Though her heart yearns for passion, to avoid disappointment, she is determined to channel all her energy into a midwifery career and devote her life to help other women. But Fate has other plans for Scarlet. 

A century earlier, beautiful and sweet-tempered Jiayi is a scullery maid on the Gu Estate, in Cloud Mountain, a remote village in central China – her one wish is to be chosen as a concubine for the handsome and accomplished Qilong, the heir. Heaven seems to answer her prayers when she becomes his “Little Wife,” an ambiguous position in the household, but Jiayi, naively, believes it’s a trial phase before he marries her. Life feels too good to be true and Jiayi thinks her future is set but Destiny is a cruel jester.

Scarlet and Jiayi’s lives will intersect in an unexpected way, forcing them to make daunting choices as they grapple with faith and doubts. Their story echoes gothic classics like Jane Eyre and Rebecca.

Writing the second novel is a different beast: it’s both easier and harder! The Lotus Shoes took years to write but I only have around 18 months to finish the second book. At times, the pressure was a little stressful, but I have access to the gatekeepers (my wonderful editors), so it takes a lot of guesswork out of the process. I’m so blessed to have such amazing editors: they’re super supportive and incredibly whip-smart.

Q: If The Lotus Shoes were to be made into a movie or a series, who would be your ideal cast to play the characters? My suggestions are Simu Liu to portray Noble, Michelle Yeoh to portray Aunt Sapphire or Linjing’s mother. 

A: I’d LOVE to have Michelle Yeoh in the film, in any role! She’s one of my favorite stars. Recently, I finished a C-Drama, The Story of Minglan, and loved the leads, so if I could, I’d cast Zhao Li Ying as Little Flower and Feng Shao Feng as Noble. As for Linjing, I have yet to think of someone who captures her; though, years ago, when I started writing the story, I was envisioning Zhang Ziyi as Linjing (her role in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon makes me think she’s a perfect fit), but she might be a little mature to play a sixteen/eighteen-year-old now.  Anyhow, it’d be beyond a dream, if, someday, The Lotus Shoes is adapted on screen.