Seniors Program Glenview – Book Club, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women – Both In-Person in Glenview & Call-In
This program will be offered in person at our Glenview location at 222 Waukegan Road as well as over-the-phone.
For those interested in participating, whether it be in-person or over-the-phone, everyone must call Melissa at T: (847) 510-2060 to discuss their plans for attendance / RSVPs – space is limited for in-person attendance.
CALL-IN INSTRUCTIONS: After you RSVP for any/all programs that you’d like to participate in, here’s how to call into each of the programs – we will use the same call-in number for all programs: To join any of the programs, dial 872-242-7995. It will then ask you to enter the Conference ID 737107407 followed by #. It will ask if you are the meeting organizer and since you are not, continue waiting and shortly after that you will be admitted into the program.
Most participants will use the free Talking Books player. The audio book player will be mailed to you at no cost, as well as all audio books. We can help you complete an application if you are not yet enrolled in the program. Please RSVP to Melissa in advance of the program at: (847) 510-2060.
This month, we will discuss the bestselling novel, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See, listening time, 13 hours, book #DB115160 in the TBBS catalog. According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, & loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, & she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, & 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 & 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 & 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 & from helping the women & girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, recite poetry, give birth to sons, & 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 & 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, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a triumphant reimagining of the life of one person who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty & would be considered remarkable today.
RSVP to Melissa at: (847) 510-2060.
