Angela M is taking a break.'s Reviews > Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

In each of the seven novels I have read by Lisa See, I always find it enlightening to learn so much about Chinese culture, families, history . While that focus pays tribute to her heritage and especially to strong women, she’s a versatile writer, telling stories of women in various times and places in varied circumstances. This one begins in 1469 during the Ming dynasty, in the time of bound feet, arranged marriages and concubines. The story is inspired by a real life woman doctor, Yunxian Tan, whose books today are “still used today in traditional Chinese Medicine “

The book opens when Yunxian Tan is eight, learning from her mother what her place in the future as a dutiful wife will be . The descriptions of the foot binding, while fascinating are brutal seeing what young girls endured to make them desirable and for the sake of proving one’s love for her husband. There’s more for her to learn, though. Yunxian is from a family of privilege and scholars, and when she comes to live in the elegant mansion of her loving grandparents, she becomes a part of the family legacy of practicing medicine. She learns more from her grandmother more than how to treat women. “You must speak if you wish to be heard.” The story continues through her life as a wife and mother and doctor.

There’s so much substance to this story. The history of the times where power, riches, land are dependent on having sons puts a focus on women giving birth and concubines. The power of friendship, of women caring for each other is portrayed in wonderful ways. The writing is lovely. The descriptions of the residences “The Garden of Fragrant Delights” , “The Courtyard of Whispering Willows”, and her use of actual phrasing of the times - “a resident is dwelling in her child palace” for being pregnant.

While this is a work of fiction, it’s obvious from the acknowledgements that the novel is impeccably researched, and if you are inclined to know more, go to LisaSee.com where she provides us all the background one might want on the culture, customs, traditional Chinese medicine and more that are portrayed in the novel . This is my favorite of hers yet.

I received a copy of this book from Scribner through Edelweiss.