Monthly Book Group - Lady Tan's Circle of Women

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 women's 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 other's 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, pluck instruments, 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, go on to treat women and girls from every level of society, 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? 

Please note that the group meets on the third Wednesday of the month and the group will be having lunch at the PYCC Clubhouse at 12:30 before the regular book group discussion.

Upcoming Selections:

May  - The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Summer Hiatus

September - The Women by Kristen Hannah

Try using Z-library to get a copy of the book.   https://b-ok.cc/.  It is an online library with literally millions of books to download for free or with a modest donation. 

Please Register so we know how many are coming.  For questions, call/text Mollie @ 321-446-4535.

Location:  PYCC Clubhouse.