Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Ruth Wuwong

Bound Feet and Cosmetic Surgery

By Ruth Wuwong

In my newest fiction, Echoes over Stormy Sea (Book 1 in the dual-time odyssey series), I touch on the topic of bound feet in imperial China.

Back then, small, tiny feet were considered a status symbol and a mark of feminine beauty. During my research, I was horrified by the images I discovered online: deformed feet of young Chinese girls, contorted and bound to fit the cultural ideals of the time.

Foot binding was a gruesome practice, mostly among the upper class. The idea was that small feet were a symbol of beauty and status. Folks back then believed bound feet would increase a girl’s marriage prospects, especially among the wealthy. Luckily, the lower class was spared. The poor couldn’t afford to have family members incapacitated by such practices. Consequently, their girls escaped this specific form of torture. A few articles mentioned that about 50% of girls with bound feet suffered severe disabilities, and chronic pain often plagued their lives.

Yet, as I reflect on the cultural and social constructs that perpetuated tiny feet as an unusual beauty standard, I can’t help thinking about cosmetic surgery these days and the lengths to which society pushes its members. People continue to go to extreme lengths for beauty. Movies, books, and social media feeds are filled with influencers and celebrities showcasing their “perfect” bodies, often enhanced through surgical means.

The pressures to conform remain, and it’s not just women anymore. A staggering number of men and

women undergo procedures to alter their appearance. Folks go for extensive surgeries—rhinoplasties, breastwork, liposuction. The list goes on. We’re told we need to resemble those photoshopped images to be considered beautiful or successful.

Similar to foot binding, the procedures nowadays often come with lifelong consequences. Based on my biochemical knowledge, I can say without a doubt that if you go through one of those procedures, you won’t be able to avoid risks of complications, infections, and psychological impact.

Sad but true, we’re trapped in another form of cultural binding, only now it’s global and digital.

As Christians, perhaps we can strive to challenge these societal pressures by valuing inner beauty and kindness over physical appearance. Through fostering communities that embrace diversity and encourage self-acceptance, we can work toward dismantling these modern-day “bindings” that restrict genuine self-expression.

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Dr. Ruth Wuwong (PhD in biochemistry, MBA in finance) has published 120+ scientific books and papers (under her legal name) and a few Christian fiction books (Love at the Garden Tomb, The Way We Forgive, Blazing China, and Detour to Agape, under R. F. Whong). She lives in the Midwest with her husband, a retired pastor. They served together at three churches from 1987 to 2020. Her grown son works in a nearby city. She currently runs a small biotech company (www.vidasym.com)and has raised more than twenty million US dollars during the past few years for Vidasym.

In addition to her weekly newsletter and the platform (www.ruthforchrist.com), she’s active in several writers’ groups, including ACFW, Word Weavers, Facebook, and Goodreads. Through these connections, she plans newsletter/promotion swaps with others and has writers endorse her books, write forewords, and host her on guest blogs.


Echoes over a Stormy Sea

Two eras, one stormy sea. Two women navigate love and heritage across centuries. Book 1 in this dual-time odyssey series braids together a mesmerizing tale about loyalty, redemption, and transformation. Debra Gong, a PhD student in biochemistry, eagerly counts down to her upcoming 2020 wedding in Chicago. The unexpected death of her father, a famous writer, brings her back to Hong Kong. Then the sudden closure of borders because of the pandemic leaves her trapped and separated from her fiancé. 

Her father’s will requires her to complete his last, unfinished manuscript about a pirate princess to honor his memory. In 1800, Shih Yi-Lan, a martial arts master and the fierce daughter of a pirate captain, faces the cultural expectations of matrimony. Unwilling to be confined by traditional roles, when her father demands her to cement an alliance through marriage, she devises a test for any would-be suitor: he must beat her in two out of three contests to win her hand. A mysterious contender with a pigtail unlike the other sea marauders rises to the occasion and triumphs.

As both women explore their worlds in flux, the stakes grow higher. Can Debra continue her PhD work, honor her father’s legacy, and find love and commitment? Will Yi-Lan maintain her resilience and passion amid the challenges? Their parallel journeys unfold against the backdrop of tumultuous times, connecting their fates in unexpected ways.

Experience adventure and romance in distant lands, a mesmerizing tale by Whong, named a 2025 Featured Author by the Minnesota Anoka County Library.

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