Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Bound is a retelling of a Chinese Cinderella story. Xing Xing lives with her stepmother and stepsister in a cave and is forced to work hard and take care of her stepsister whose feet are being bound. Xing Xing takes comfort in the fish in her pond that she believes is the spirit of her dead mother. Of course, the stepmother is evil and only wants the best for her own daughter, not for Xing Xing. I enjoyed the details of ancient Chinese life and religion, and the action that takes place when Xing Xing sets off to find a traveling doctor. The ending is predictible, but doesn't take away from a good story. Recommended for readers grades 5-8.