WHY WE MAHJONG

by EMILIE RABKE
with Lauren Wilson

Pre-order Your Copy Now - Available Fall 2026
$75 USD

(On mobile device? Scroll down to peek inside- sample pages are waiting at the bottom.)

Mahjong is more than a game.

It is an invitation to come to the table, to slow down, to enter a realm where time is no longer counted in minutes but in conversation, laughter, and the pivot of hands and tiles. Here, the inbox goes unanswered. The to-do list waits. Nothing is asked of you but presence.

WHY WE MAHJONG is for every woman who has ever come to the table in need of connection, of escape, of a breath long enough to remember who she is—who sat down carrying the weight of the week and rose, two hours later, somehow lighter, somehow more herself. This is for everyone who found, in the shuffling of tiles and the passing of hours, not just a game but a place to belong.

With breathtaking photography and writing that moves between the elegant and the deeply felt, WHY WE MAHJONG brings to life the women, gatherings, and luminous moments that unfold around the table, from intimate afternoons to spirited evenings, from a first nervous shuffle to the easy confidence that comes after playing for years.

WHY WE MAHJONG captures the joy and beauty of the game. It showcases the unhurried escape and verve of play. It celebrates connection through family and sisterhood. This book is a gift that cannot be found anywhere else: a reminder that the most beautiful thing in any room is the people who gather inside it.

“More times than I can count, I have come to the table with an empty cup. But without fail, whenever I leave, it is always full.”
‍ ‍— Emilie Rabke, Author

Complimentary shipping on orders over $150.
Profits from WHY WE MAHJONG
benefit the Rett Syndrome Research Trust

Emilie Rabke is the founder of Let's Mahj RVA, a vibrant mahjong community based in Richmond, Virginia.
Her love of the game started from a deeply personal place. As the mother of three young adult children, one of whom lives with Rett Syndrome, a rare, neurological genetic disorder severely limiting motor and communication skills, Rabke found herself navigating a season of life where the familiar milestones had passed but the caregiving journey continued. She understood, with quiet clarity, that to sustain this path with grace, she would need something to sustain her.
Rabke turned back to the game her mother had taught her more than thirty years before, never expecting it would become both a reprieve from the responsibilities of daily life and a calling.
What began as an act of self-care has grown into something far greater: a community built on the belief that the table is a powerful place of connection and belonging.
WHY WE MAHJONG is Rabke's love letter to a game that has given her more than she ever thought to ask for—and her invitation to every woman who has ever needed a place to come back to herself.
Combining her passion for the game with a deep desire to make a difference by supporting innovative research for Rett Syndrome, profits from the sale of WHY WE MAHJONG benefit the Rett Syndrome Research Trust.
The Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT) is the world’s leading organization working to cure Rett Syndrome.
As the largest funder of Rett research, the RSRT advances genetic medicines that target the root cause of Rett. The gene therapy programs currently in clinical trials were started and incubated at RSRT.
Your support makes this critical work possible. To learn more, visit www.reverserett.org.
Shipping to US residents only.
Please contact us as soon as possible if your order is incorrect or arrives damaged.

Please include your order number and a description of the damage.
Returns are not accepted.