Ribbons

Ribbons is a 1996 young adult fiction novel by Laurence Yep, originally published by Puffin Books. Yep grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and his dozens of children’s books spotlight the Chinese American experience. Yep is most famous for his Golden Mountain Chronicles, a 10-book young adult series that follows the Young family from 19th-century China to modern America. The series includes popular titles such as Dragonwings, Child of the Owl, and Dragon’s Gate. Ribbons is itself the first installment in a four-part series about aspiring dancer Robin Lee. Ribbons follows Robin and her family as they welcome her maternal grandmother from Hong Kong. Confronted with financial hardship, Robin is forced to forego her true passion: ballet. As Robin adjusts to the change, she develops a keener understanding of sacrifice, family, and real-world limitations. 

This guide refers to the 1997 Puffin Books Mass Market Paperback edition of the text.

Content Warning: The novel and this guide discuss racism.

Plot Summary

The novel opens with its first-person narrator, 11-year-old Robin, as she performs in a class production of The Nutcracker. Robin, a talented ballerina, earns riotous applause for her Morning Butterfly solo. After the performance, she catches up with her family: Mom, Dad, and younger brother Ian. Mom is Chinese, having immigrated from Hong Kong as a young woman, while Dad is a white American. Robin and Ian were born in San Francisco, and they live with their parents in a small apartment in the city’s vibrant Richmond district. 

Robin’s teacher, Madame Oblamov, approaches the family and vaguely implies that Robin might have to quit her ballet lessons. Robin is stunned, and Mom and Dad refuse to offer any immediate clarification. Outside, Robin joins her friends and fellow dancers, Thomas, Amy, and Leah. Together, they worry about Robin’s return to school.

Back home, Mom and Dad confirm that Robin will need to temporarily quit ballet lessons. Mom explains that she and Dad are funding her mother’s immigration from Hong Kong. With money tight, there’s a need to cut unnecessary expenses. Robin and Dad both wonder why Mom’s successful younger brothers, Georgie and Eddy, don’t pitch in to help. Mom, however, insists on shouldering the burden herself. To convince Robin, Mom reminds her that Grandmother once fled Communist China for British Hong Kong, allowing her family a better life—an extraordinary sacrifice that Mom refers to as “The Debt.” Robin begrudgingly agrees to give up dance. 

That Christmas, the family exchanges only a few small gifts. Robin, fearing that she’ll fall behind without proper lessons, decides to practice ballet in the downstairs garage. She imagines Madame’s voice as motivation and punishes herself each time she makes a mistake. She continues to grow taller but hesitates to ask Mom for a new pair of pointe shoes. Instead, she squishes into her old pair.

After a few more months of waiting, Grandmother finally arrives. Robin is surprised to realize that she walks with canes. Grandmother greets Robin awkwardly but immediately dotes on Ian. As Robin helps Dad with the luggage, she asks when she might start ballet again. Dad, however, warns that she’ll need to keep waiting. 

Robin moves into Ian’s room to make room for Grandmother. Grandmother’s stay is meant to be temporary, until she can move in with either Georgie or Eddy. However, one day, when Robin notices Mom unpacking Grandmother’s belongings, Mom admits that Grandmother will be staying with them long-term. Robin, annoyed, begins to resent Grandmother.

At school, Thomas, Amy, and Leah ask Robin when she might return to Madame’s lessons. Robin eventually admits that she’s unsure, as her grandmother’s immigration has strained the family finances. She swears her friends to secrecy, as Grandmother isn’t supposed to know of her sacrifice. 

Meanwhile, Robin and Grandmother struggle to connect, hindered by cultural barriers. Furthermore, Grandmother openly favors Ian and allows him to vandalize Robin’s toys. When Robin complains to Mom and Dad, they encourage her to be patient with Grandmother. 

One day, Robin joins Amy, Thomas, and Leah for a practice session in Leah’s home studio. As Robin dances, she fights through pain in her feet. When Amy notices, Robin merely brushes it off. As Robin watches Amy dance, she notices that Amy has surpassed her in skill. To make matters worse, Amy reveals that she’s been selected to dance as the Morning Butterfly in the next Nutcracker production.

Heading home, Robin hopes to cheer herself with an ice cream bar. However, when she looks in the freezer, she realizes that Ian, encouraged by Grandmother, has already eaten it. Robin, distraught, complains to Mom, who finally admits that the transition has been difficult. 

Robin, sympathizing with Mom’s stress, hopes to bond with Grandmother. She decides to ask Grandmother to sew a new pair of ribbons on her pointe shoes. However, Grandmother ignores the ribbons and instead gapes at Robin’s feet: Her toes curl downward, shaped by her small pointe shoes. Grandmother urges Robin to quit ballet. When Mom and Dad examine Robin’s feet, they concur and proceed to schedule a doctor’s appointment. In the meantime, Robin will have to suspend practice.

Deeply frustrated, Robin seeks revenge against Grandmother, even attempting to destroy her home-cooked meal. One day, when Robin walks in on Grandmother in the bathroom, she notices Grandmother’s bare feet. Grandmother orders her away, and Robin, shocked, retreats to her bedroom. Joined eventually by Mom, Robin learns that Grandmother is a victim of footbinding, a now-illegal Chinese cultural practice that involves tightly binding and reshaping women’s feet. According to Mom, Grandmother removed the ribbons upon her escape to Hong Kong. As a consequence, she now lives in near-constant pain. Suddenly, Robin understands why Grandmother has urged her to quit ballet. As they talk, Grandmother admits that she has avoided Robin out of self-consciousness, worried that Robin might judge her. They both vow to start their relationship anew. 

After that, Robin and Grandmother bond. They watch American soap operas, tour San Francisco, and even watch a recording of Robin’s ballet recital. Robin worries about Grandmother’s reaction, but Grandmother is intrigued and compliments Robin’s talent. 

One day, when Grandmother and Robin bump into Madame Oblamov, Robin is forced to admit that Grandmother’s immigration expenses forced her to quit lessons. Though Robin insists that she doesn’t mind, Grandmother resolves to set things right.

In the meantime, Robin visits her pediatrician, Dr. Brown, who—upon examining Robin’s feet—diagnoses her with hammer toes. Dr. Brown assures Robin that the condition can be corrected with an operation; however, such an operation would ensure that Robin never dances again. On the other hand, Dr. Brown could simply prevent the condition from worsening. Robin would be able to dance, but she’d likely endure incredible pain.

Robin, eager to dance, prefers the latter option. However, Mom, worried about Robin’s health, encourages her to seek the operation. Both turn to Grandmother for guidance. Eventually, Grandmother sides with Robin, appreciating her passion and drawing comparisons to her own sense of determination. 

Later that evening, Georgie and Eddy arrive for a surprise dinner, though Robin suspects that Grandmother has secretly arranged everything. Over dinner, Georgie and Eddy give Mom and Dad envelopes of money, hoping to repay them for their sacrifice. Eddy, too, reveals that he and his wife have cleared space for Grandmother. Robin begs Grandmother not to leave, but they ultimately promise to visit each other frequently. 

As the novel closes, Grandmother gives Robin a new pair of pointe shoes. As per tradition, Robin tears off her old laces, so that she might sew them onto her new shoes. With Mom’s help, Grandmother carefully sews the laces. Afterward, they’re joined by Ian, and they all laugh happily.