I really enjoyed this fictionalized account of Chinese female physician Tan Yunxian by Lisa See. We watch her grow up during the Ming Dynasty and learn medicine from her grandmother during a time where women’s healthcare is overlooked by male doctors and blood is seen as dirty business. The book goes in depth on descriptions of Chinese medicine concepts which I found interesting as well as other cultural aspects like footbinding and family hierarchy. Along the way, we see Yunxian’s privilege juxtaposed against the lack of privilege afforded to her childhood friend, midwife Meiling, whose work involving blood and medical examination place her and her unbound feet in a low position. The part I liked best about Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is that it’s a story of women lifting other women up. Yunxian loses her mother at a young age but finds support in her grandmother, her father’s concubine Miss Zhao, Meiling, as well as other extended family members, and uses her medical training to help other women in need. It’s a great reminder in modern day America where women’s rights are being stripped away that there are things we can still do to support each other.

Tan Yunxian loses her mother at a young age when her bound feet become infected. Tan is sent to be raised by her father's parents as his government position requires constant travel. Tan loves her grandparents, especially her grandmother who is one of the few Chinese women doctors and who trains Tan in her profession. She is also introduced to the best friend she will ever have, Meiling. Meiling is the daughter of the local midwife and learning that profession. While the two girls are of different social status, they develop a friendship that cannot be broken.

When Tan is fifteen, she is married to the man picked by her father, the son of a rich merchant family. Once she is inside the gates there, she is not to leave. She must do everything her mother-in-law says and her only purpose is to have a son that can carry on the family name. Tan cannot give up her knowledge and slowly begins to treat some of the women in the household. There are many as a rich family's women consists of all the wives of the family, the children, the concubines and the spinsters and widows of the family.

Lisa See is Chinese American and her books are based on extensive research. In this book, Tan Yunxian was a real person and a real woman doctor. The reader learns about Chinese medicine and culture, the practice of bound feet and their purpose, and the scheming and duplicity that often arose in the large group of women living in the inner chambers. It focuses on the real love between Tan and Meiling as well as the love each woman had for her husband and children. This book is recommended for readers of historical and women's fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for the digital arc.
This is another book I read and loved during a time when we were dealing with life's inconveniences. It is possibly my favorite of Lisa See's books, and that is saying a lot since she is one of my go to authors for historical fiction. Lady Tan's 15th century contributions to the field of traditional Chinese medicine which are still used today.. Born into an elite family of doctors and scholars, Yunxian Tan is sent to live with her grandparents after her mother dies. It is through her grandmother that she begins her education in medicine, and is introduced to Meiling, the local midwife's daughter. Yunxian Tan marries into a wealthy family that expects her to become a traditional quiet subservient Chinese wife whose role is to produce as many male heirs as possible. Even tough the household was filled with children, wives, servants and concubines, all who had medical issues, she was forbidden to use her knowledge, since it involved exposure to blood and bodily fluids, and that was taboo. Thorough research allows a fantastic descriptions of the culture and traditions during this time in history.
#LadyTansCircleOfWomen #NetGalley

This was a very beautifully written book about a female doctor during the Ming era. I like how the main character fought to be recognized and established when women weren’t allowed to become doctors. I love all the characters and thought they were very realistic. I recommend this for fans of The Surgeon’s Daughter!

I’ve always loved the Lisa See books I’ve read, but this one seemed different. This one felt more artificial than the others. There was too much fiction than fact, and it felt like it was trying too hard.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See is a captivating and triumphant tale that will resonate deeply with readers who appreciate historical fiction, women's empowerment, and the unbreakable bonds of female friendship, making it a perfect fit for anyone who loves stories of strong, independent women defying tradition and forging their own paths.

I really enjoyed this book! The author clearly researched Chinese medicine thoroughly and offers unique insight into the lives of women during this era of Chinese history. I found it informative and compelling. The only reason it did not earn 5 stars was because I felt that it dragged a bit toward the end.

Lisa See is an author whose full collection I have read; she never misses. I am thrilled to have had the chance to read an advance copy of Lady Tan's Circle of Women. This novel gives voice and life to a female physician from 15th century China. The weight of that is hard to fathom, and I greatly enjoyed Tan Yunxian's story brought to life.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I love Lisa See and was excited to get an ARC from #netgalley. This book centered largely on women and medical topics in 15th century China. I enjoyed the apprecticeship story of the young girl and her grandmother and watching the relationship and learning bloom and be applied as she got older. There are strong themes of friendship, restriction and access for women and the perils of an arranged marriage and being a part of that family. If you enjoy Lisa's other works and are a fan of medical historical fiction, this is the book for you.

One of my favorite books - ever! I positively loved Lisa See’s vivid story set in ancient China about a female doctor. Her stories are told in such a beautiful and engaging way. Highly highly recommend!

Despite having a degree in East Asian history, this is the first time I had every heard of Yunxian Tan, a female doctor in Ming Dynasty China. The amount of research and detail Lisa See put into the story is amazing. She not only tells the story of this remarkable woman who was almost lost to history, but also manages to highlight the society she was a part of in a way that is historically accurate and of the time. However this isn't just a story about a woman who made her mark, but also a story of female friendship, something that is often missing in historical fiction. This was a fascinating read and I am definitely interested in reading more from Lisa See in the future.

I love epic pieces of historical fiction that span a person's lifetime. I also love stories focused on medicine that are specific to a time period and a certain set of knowledge. Learning about this time in Chinese history where the knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine and such a strive for scholarly approaches to the body is balanced with the mutilation practices of feet binding was such an insane juxtaposition to comprehend. The honor and venerated roles of women and yet the complete handicapping of them mentally and physically. I loved that Lady Tan was both a proper woman of society and yet strove to perpetuate her family's trade. She was a breath of fresh air in a time where men and the production of male children was central to daily life. I love these hidden stories of feminism and valor. Not sure why I let this one sit on my shelf for so long... it's fabulous!

Thanks to Scribner for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

I have not read anything by this author before but after reading this book I will be picking up her other books ASAP. This book really gives you a feel for the time period with its historical accuracy. You can tell it is well written and well researched. The characters leap off the page. It was a delight to read from start to finish.

“Friendship is a contract between two hearts. With hearts united, women can laugh and cry, live and die together”

I love stories that have wonderful, realistic relationships between women. I love when it highlights the highs and lows but also the strength we have when we work together and support each other.

This is the second story I've read, this year, about midwives and this one was just as moving, emotionally raw, and amazing! I loved our mc, Yunxian. She is young, privileged, but still a young girl in the late 1400's in China. She is being raised to devote herself to her eventual matched husband, serve her mother-in-law until she is the woman of the home.

But Yunxian's life is a bit different. Her grandmother is a well-known and respected female doctor. She understands that the monthly cycles and pregnancy need a unique understanding that other doctors have just not embraced to know or understand.

In the story, you are with Yunxian as she is a young girl all the way through to adulthood, so you see how her life is the same as other young wives and mothers, but also how it's different. Lisa See does an amazing job of introducing other layers of people who live in the large estates that Yunxian lives at, and really lets us explore their power struggles and relationships. I loved this story and found myself immediately pulled into the story and, I especially loved the author note right at the beginning - so you know there is a factual basis for these people and families. This one was so good, I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Interesting historical fiction about a real Asian female doctor. Women did not have it easy in this time or place. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a tour de force. See is a master storyteller who uses rich writing and thoroughly researched material. This book is a perfect blend of traditional Chinese culture during the Ming Dynasty and the remarkable life of one of the first female physicians in China. With See's reimagining of Tan's life, readers experience both the extraordinarily rare appreciation of a Chinese woman's intellect and the rigidness of a proper married Chinese lady's days. Readers may find some of the content hard to digest but See didn't simply insert difficult topics without reason. The pace of the book was perfect and the writing was powerful. Not to be missed.

This was such a perfect book club pick. So much to discuss packed among these pages. While the foot binding descriptions were quite graphic, I think they were necessary for people to understand the lengths these women were forced to go in the name of beauty. I learned so much by reading this book - about the roles of women, medical practices during this time period, and more. This was an obviously well researched subject for the author and she presented it in a beautiful way.

Beautiful beautiful story of a specially gifted woman in ancient China.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See reminded me how much I absolutely adore See’s novels. Yunxian is raised in by her grandparents to learn the art of women’s medicine, along with her friend, Meiling, a midwife in training. When her arranged marriage puts a stop to this, Yunxian must figure out how to break the traditional roles in order to better serve the women around her.

Like many other of See's books, I simply could not put Lady Tan down. Wondering what would become of Yunxian and her family, along with Meiling. I can't even imagine being constrained by the gender roles in their time period, yet talented and ambitious and needing to do more. What the women had to do to follow their passion is unthinkable.

Beautiful beautiful story of a specially gifted woman in ancient China.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.