My mother's first memory was more rooted in emotion than in any particular event. If she had to describe it, it would be the colour of blood. Spanning a century and four countries, Bound is the story of three generations of women trying to escape the legacy of their past. Each wants to escape to a better life. Bound to tradition but with a dream for their future, their lives interweave across time. China, 1923. With the cultural revolution sweeping across the country, four-year old Huan-Ju has her feet unceremoniously unbound. She is the first woman in her family without lotus feet. As she grows up Huan-Ju longs for a life beyond the confines of her small village. Malaysia, 1968. Growing up in poverty, teenage Shui- Tu is unable to understand her mother's choices. Dreaming of the cold of an English winter, she realises education will be her passport to a better, and different, life. Australia, 1980. Lauren grows up leading a privileged life in suburban Western Sydney. But she feels void of connection as she struggles to find her place in the world and unravel the ties that bind her to a past she doesn't understand. AUTHOR: Samantha W.L. Lee is a Chinese-Australian writer of literary fiction, essays and poetry. She was shortlisted for the WestWords/Ultimo Prize for her manuscript and completed the WestWords Fellowship in 2023. Samantha has been shortlisted for multiple Needle in the Hay flash fiction competitions and has been published in SBS Voices and FemAsia Magazine.
