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.
