Lady Tan'S Circle Of Women: A Novel

Lady Tan'S Circle Of Women: A Novel

*New York Times Bestseller!*From One Of Those Special Writers Capable Of Delivering Both Poetry And Plot (The New York Times Book Review) An Immersive Historical Novel Inspired By The True Story Of A Woman Physician In 15Th-Century China-Perfect For Fans Of Lisa SeeS Classics Snow Flower And The Secret Fan And Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane.According To Confucius, An Educated Woman Is A Worthless Woman, But Tan Yunxian-Born Into An Elite Family, Yet Haunted By Death, Separations, And Loneliness-Is Being Raised By Her Grandparents To Be Of Use. Her Grandmother Is One Of Only A Handful Of Female Doctors In China, And She Teaches Yunxian The Pillars Of Chinese Medicine, The Four Examinations-Looking, Listening, Touching, And Asking-Something A Man Can Never Do With A Female Patient.From A Young Age, Yunxian Learns About WomenS Illnesses, Many Of Which Relate To Childbearing, Alongside A Young Midwife-In-Training, Meiling. The Two Girls Find Fast Friendship And A Mutual Purpose-Despite The Prohibition That A Doctor Should Never Touch Blood While A Midwife Comes In Frequent Contact With It-And They Vow To Be Forever Friends, Sharing In Each OtherS Joys And Struggles. No Mud, No Lotus, They Tell Themselves: From Adversity Beauty Can Bloom.But When Yunxian Is Sent Into An Arranged Marriage, Her Mother-In-Law Forbids Her From Seeing Meiling And From Helping The Women And Girls In The Household. Yunxian Is To Act Like A Proper Wife-Embroider Bound-Foot Slippers, Recite Poetry, Give Birth To Sons, And Stay Forever Within The Walls Of The Family Compound, The Garden Of Fragrant Delights.How Might A Woman Like Yunxian Break Free Of These Traditions And Lead A Life Of Such Importance That Many Of Her Remedies Are Still Used Five Centuries Later? How Might The Power Of Friendship Support Or Complicate These Efforts? A Captivating Story Of Women Helping Each Other, Lady TanS Circle Of Women Is A Triumphant Reimagining Of The Life Of One Person Who Was Remarkable In The Ming Dynasty And Would Be Considered Remarkable Today.