Mongol Healer - Paperback

by Regina L. Wei (Author)

The derogatory Mandarin phrase Ménggǔ dàifu, Mongol healer, means charlatan. It is what a celebrated qigong master calls Grandma Wú, his quiet neighbor in the adjoining courtyard. He has status, credentials, and followers. Wú has none of these, and yet people find healing in her presence.

When a young Chinese American yoga teacher named Natalie appears at Wú's door weary and searching, Wú recognizes a familiar ache. As she welcomes her inside, the past resurfaces: the violence of the Cultural Revolution, exile in Inner Mongolia, and a hard-won understanding of what it means to be whole.

A literary journey from the unforgiving steppes to modern Beijing, Mongol Healer explores trauma, resilience, the courage it takes to keep one's heart open - and reveals how easily power can disguise itself as authority.