Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: June 6, 2023
Pages: 357
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 Snow Flower 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.
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.
"Snake is a Fire sign, while Boar is a Water sign. Fire and Water will never get along."
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.
Before reading this book, I knew almost nothing about life in China centuries ago. I was aware of female foot binding, and thanks to Mulan I had a passing knowledge of matchmakers, but otherwise I'm like Jon Snow and know nothing. After reading this book, I feel like I know pretty much exactly what it would have been like to be an upper-class woman in China hundreds of years ago.
There were so many things described in this book that pissed me off. We were treated to some mildly detailed descriptions of foot binding, and what can happen to women because of it. There was one scene in particular where I thought something rather unfortunate had happened to one of Yunxian's daughters, but soon found out that what had been described was the desired result. Again, I knew of foot binding before I started reading this story, but I had no idea about how absolutely horrible the practice was for the women doing it.
I also found it hard to get over the way mothers-in-law treat their son's wives as depicted in this story. Nowadays I get it when MILs aren't fond of the women their sons choose, but back then the marriages were arranged so MIL would have had some say in who was marrying her son. To then treat your new daughter-in-law who has been forced to leave her family home (in many cases the only place she has ever even seen) like garbage for simply existing is asinine.
Then there's the aspect of medical care for women. Women aren't supposed to be doctors, but men aren't allowed to touch or see female patients. How could anyone expect that kind of treatment to lead to positive outcomes for women? But this one doesn't even surprise me all that much, considering how women's health concerns today, in industrialized nations, are often dismissed as inconsequential.
It was just one thing after another making it clear that basically all women are property, at least all well-to-do and beautiful women. While a wife's place at her husband's side was pretty much guaranteed unlike his concubines, she was still considered his property and at the mercy of the ruling lady of the compound.
The one high point, and something that I desperately hope was true, is that husbands were expected to sexually satisfy their wives. Sure it was believed that a woman's pleasure helped ensure pregnancy, but it was still an expectation for the men. And it was probably the one actual bright spot of being a woman in China back then.
Overall I give Lady Tan's Circle of Women 4.867 out of 5 stars. - Katie
Lisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the Historymaker’s Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women.
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