Lady Tan's Circle of Women

I've read and enjoyed two of Lisa See's earlier novels (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane and The Island of Sea Women) so I was excited to hear she had a new book coming out. Lady Tan's Circle of Women is set in the 15th and 16th century in China and is based on the life of Tan Yunxian, a woman born to a privileged family who became a renowned physician.

The story is told through Yunxian's POV and is broken up into the different parts of her life - from a young girl, to a newly married woman living in her mother-in-law's house, to her roles as wife, mother and doctor. The story centres around the relationships she builds with her grandmother who taught her traditional medicine, her mother, her best friend and one of her father's concubines. But despite being born to privilege, Yunxian remains marginalized due to her gender and the reader witnesses the many restrictions forced upon women - including foot binding of young girls, the pressure of wives to produce sons and the selling of concubines.

I enjoyed learning about Chinese history, culture and, at a time when women had little agency over their fates, reading how Yunxian and her grandmother were pioneers in the male-dominated field of traditional Chinese medicine. I appreciate See's detailed (and often poignant) descriptions of childbirth, how concubines and wives were treated, and the excruciating food binding procedures young girls experienced. I don't think I'll ever forget the scene on the bridge and the 'crack'.

It is clear a lot of time and energy went into researching this book. The story is filled with details and vivid descriptions of medical procedures, the beautiful homes and gardens and clothing of the era. But it sometimes felt like these lengthy descriptions got in the way of the storytelling and made the book feel a bit longwinded. 

This is a well-researched and character-driven story about the female experience, the important relationships between women and a trail-blazing women in the field of medicine. With its themes of misogyny, social status, and the vivid descriptions of Chinese history and culture, this book would make an excellent book club selection. 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Scribner Books for the advanced copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Lisa See

Genre: Historical Fiction (China)

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Scribner (Simon and Schuster Canada)

First Published: June 6, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: The latest historical novel from New York Times bestselling author Lisa See, inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th-century China—perfect for fans of See’s classic Snowflower and the Secret Fan and The Island of Sea Women.

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? Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a captivating story of women helping other women. It is also a triumphant reimagining of the life of a woman who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.