Quince Orchard Evening Book Discussion

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

Join us to discuss a historical novel about friendship, medicine, and women's lives in Ming dynasty China.

For March's meeting, we will be discussing Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

The novel fictionalizes the life of Tan Yunxian, a female physician who lived in imperial China during the Ming dynasty and whose compendium of her cases is the earliest surviving Chinese medical text written by a woman. Yunxian, shaped by the early death of her mother and educated by grandparents who are both medical practitioners, marries into a wealthy family and lives as an obedient wife, mother, and daughter-in-law, but learns through her friendship with young midwife Meiling to defy tradition and pursue her ambition to treat women of all classes and walks of life. In providing health care, Yunxian works against the prevailing cultural belief that values women only for their childbearing and decorative functions, while her friendships prove that a circle of supportive and nurturing women provides the foundation for a fulfilling life.

Print copies will be available at the circulation desk beginning approximately one month before the discussion. You may also be able to borrow this title in eBook and eAudiobook formats through MCPL's digital services (such as Libby/OverDrive and Hoopla, where available).

Questions about this program? Contact Quince Orchard Library at 240-777-0200.

Library program attendance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program. Children attending an MCPL program under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults attending a program intended for children must have an accompanying child.

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

cm 1.1 01/03/2023

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