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Come join our book group for a discussion of "Lady Tan's Circle of Women" by Lisa See Loved the book? Hated the book? Couldn't finish it? Come join us anyway! Newcomers are always welcome!
In fifteenth-century China, Tan Yunxian loses her mother at a young age, and her father quickly remarries, sending Yunxian to live with her grandparents. There she finds her passion, learning the art of medicine from her grandmother. She also befriends a midwife’s daughter, Meiling, a tie complicated by their vastly different social strata. When Yunxian marries into the wealthy and traditional Yang family, her life constricts, and she fights loneliness in her new, oppressive environment. Her husband is kind but mediocre, her mother-in-law constantly critical. In her latest engaging historical novel, following The Island of Sea Women (2019), best-selling See tells a tale of female relationships, portraying women who hold historically authentic worldviews as they face the complexities of Chinese medicine and the matter-of -fact acceptance of the brutal foot-binding their husbands find so beautiful. See creates a cultural smorgasbord as she adeptly depicts the strict delineation and separation of the sexes and the minute details of the social hierarchy, especially among the women , from wives to concubines, widows, daughters, and servants. Based on the writings of an historical Ming dynasty female physician, See’s accomplished novel immerses readers in a fascinating life lived within a fascinating culture.
This is hybrid meeting, we will be meeting in person, but there is an option to join us virtually if you would like. Email mccref@slcolibrary.org for information.