Lady Tan’s Circle of Women: An Evening with Lisa See

Winnetka indie shop, The Book Stall, is delighted to present an evening with Lisa See on Tuesday, June 13 from 6:30-7:30 pm. She’ll be discussing her new historical novel, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, the retelling of the life of Tan Yunxian, the remarkable female doctor whose formulas are still used today in traditional Chinese medicine. Filled with Lisa See’s luminous writing, deep research, and emphasis on the importance of female friendship, this new book is a huge treat and an irresistible read for old fans and new readers alike.

This is a ticketed event. The ticket includes a copy of the book, Ms. See will be signing following the discussion. To purchase tickets, please visit our website.

More About the Book: According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian, born into an elite family, is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian to treat women using the Four Examinations, the pillars of Chinese medicine of looking, listening, touching, and asking.

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, and they vow to be friends forever, sharing in each other’s joys and struggles. But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife and 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 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? Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a captivating story of women helping other women, and a triumphant reimagining of the life of a remarkable woman from the Ming dynasty.

More About the Author: Lisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. Ms. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the Historymaker’s Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women.