Lady Tan's circle of women [sound recording] / Lisa See.
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?
Record details
- ISBN: 9781797150338
- ISBN: 1797150332
- Physical Description: 11 audio discs (approximately 13 hours, 15 minutes) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in.
- Edition: Unabridged.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Simon & Schuster Audio, [2023]
- Copyright: ℗2023
Content descriptions
- General Note:
- Compact discs.Subtitle from container.
- Participant or Performer Note:
- Read by Jennifer Lim & Justin Chien.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Women physicians > Fiction.
Aristocracy (Social class) > China > Fiction.
Female friendship > Fiction.
Midwives > Fiction.
Sex role > Fiction.
Arranged marriage > Fiction.
Women > China > Social conditions > 15th century > Fiction.
Women physicians > Fiction.
Women > China > Fiction.
Chinese women > Fiction.
Women's friendships.
Women.
Womyn.
Gender roles.
China > History > Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 > Fiction. - Genre:
- Audiobooks.
Domestic fiction.
Historical fiction.
Available copies
- 18 of 20 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 20 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Main Library | CD FIC SEE (Text) | 36015000559951 | Adult Audiobook | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
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?
