And one of the interesting things about bound feet is that they never age.

I write a thousand words a day.

When I knew I couldn't suffer another moment of pain, and tears fell on my bloody bindings, my mother spoke softly into my ear, encouraging me to go one more hour, one more day, one more week, reminding me of the rewards I would have if I carried on a little longer. In this way, she taught me how to endure — not just the physical trials of footbinding and childbearing but the more torturous pain of the heart, mind, and soul.

I know a lot about women and their suffering, but I still know almost nothing about men.

You can't fight your fate...It is predestined.

People write to me all the time, and I write back.

But there are certain books I would never put on a Kindle because you want to be able to look at graphs and photos or the footnotes and maps. You can't see that.