Mrs. Tchan's Lotus Circle

According to Confucius, an educated woman is worthless...

A captivating historical novel inspired by the true story of a 15th-century Chinese female doctor.
China during the Ming dynasty surpassed Europe in many ways, but it remained rigidly traditional when it came to the position of women in society. Regardless of her family's status, a woman was subordinate to a man from birth until death—to her father in childhood, her husband in maturity, and her son in old age.
In 15th-century China, the education of women is considered undesirable. But Tan Yunxian comes from a family with a long medical tradition, and her grandmother teaches her from a young age how to treat women's illnesses. Despite all her education, she too must submit to the strictly hierarchical Confucian concept of family and be, above all, a daughter, a wife, and a mother. In her husband's household, she must behave as a proper woman: make shoes suitable for bound feet, pluck musical instruments, recite poems, bear sons, and forever remain within the walls of the family estate.
But Tan Yunxian knows that a lotus does not bloom from mud, and despite all the restrictions, she still manages to help and heal women. Thanks to her education and the friendships within the Lady Tan's Circle of Women, she overcomes many social taboos, including contact with 'unclean' sick people. Lady Tan's Circle of Women tells the story of a woman who was remarkable during the Ming dynasty and should be considered remarkable even today.
Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2023 in the Best Historical Fiction category.   
A USA Today and New York Times bestseller.