Lady Tan's Circle of Women
Confucius said, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian, born into an elite family, is raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother, one of the few female doctors in China, teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine—looking, listening, touching, and asking—skills a male doctor cannot perform with a female patient.
Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, particularly those related to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. Despite societal prohibitions, they vow to be forever friends, supporting each other through adversity.
When Yunxian enters an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling or practicing medicine. Expected to act like a proper wife, Yunxian faces the challenge of breaking free from tradition to lead a life of importance. Her remedies are still used five centuries later.
Confucius said, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian, born into an elite family, is raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother, one of the few female doctors in China, teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine—looking, listening, touching, and asking—skills a male doctor cannot perform with a female patient.
Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, particularly those related to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. Despite societal prohibitions, they vow to be forever friends, supporting each other through adversity.
When Yunxian enters an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling or practicing medicine. Expected to act like a proper wife, Yunxian faces the challenge of breaking free from tradition to lead a life of importance. Her remedies are still used five centuries later.
Confucius said, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian, born into an elite family, is raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother, one of the few female doctors in China, teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine—looking, listening, touching, and asking—skills a male doctor cannot perform with a female patient.
Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, particularly those related to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. Despite societal prohibitions, they vow to be forever friends, supporting each other through adversity.
When Yunxian enters an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling or practicing medicine. Expected to act like a proper wife, Yunxian faces the challenge of breaking free from tradition to lead a life of importance. Her remedies are still used five centuries later.
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Hardcover
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June 6, 2023
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368 pages
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Scribner
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978-1982117085
