Powell's Presents: Lisa See
Schedule
Tue Jun 25 2024 at 07:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Powell's Books, Inc. (Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing) | Beaverton, OR
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From “one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot” (The New York Times Book Review) comes an immersive historical novel inspired by the true story of a woman physician in 15th-century China — perfect for fans of Lisa See’s classics Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The 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 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, 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, See’s Lady Tan’s Circle of Women (Scribner) is a triumphant reimagining of the life of one person who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.Preorder a Signed Edition: https://www.powells.com/book/lady-tans-circle-of-women-9781982117092/2-0
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Where is it happening?
Powell's Books, Inc. (Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing), 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.,Beaverton,OR,United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
