Lisa See has the amazing ability to make the lives of women in China in the 15th century relatable to modern readers. Readers can feel along with the characters the pain of losing a mother or a child, of having a miscarriage or a still birth, of longing for a baby for many years, of a husband's infidelity. This was a truly captivating story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Lisa See is a researcher extraordinaire. I have read every one of her books but the amount of research and specific detail in this book is literally mind blowing. I can’t even imagine the number of hours that she put in to create a fascinating look reflecting the life of a Chinese woman doctor in the 1400s. The story begins with the friendship of two little girls, one the daughter of a midwife (Meiling) who assists her mother and the other a member of a titled family (Yunxian). Their loneliness for a playmate their age draws them together despite the difference in social class. Yunxian is instructed by her grandmother, a female doctor, in the art of healing and goes on to follow in her footsteps. A midwife is considered doing dirty blood work, while a doctor should never touch blood, but their relationship bond is stronger than steel. The story goes into detail about your Yunxian’s arranged marriage and the roles and responsibilities as second lady of the estate. Vivid detailed descriptions are given regarding the sheltered life of women within the court and the “female” tasks that they are taught such as embroidery, the attention to their bound feet, and scrutiny towards fashion, hair design and hair jewelry.
Women are totally subservient to men and the practice of binding one’s foot is told with excruciating horror and minutiae. The binding is designed to titillate and please the husband without regard to the suffering that women continue to have lifelong. Correspondingly, a woman is a failure unless she has a son to continue the lineage; that is one of her sole purposes. Many of the passages reflect the young women’s relationship as they grow older and the trials and tribulations that life delivers to them. Yunxian’s evolution of becoming a doctor and publishing a book also reflects how important the circle of women have been to her life. Many of the treatments in her book are still used to this day. I fear that some people my find the constant naming of flowers and herbs and treatment modalities to be a bit much, but personally I found it fascinating. A phenomenal woman- a phenomenal story. Fans of Lisa See will not be disappointed.

Another hit!!! Lisa See has done it again. I love reading her books. I wish they would publish faster, however then the research Lisa See does and all the time she puts into writing a good story might not happen. I highly recommend this novel as I do are of her other books.

Lisa See wrote another beautiful historical fiction; this one set in 15th century China. This fictional account of Tan Yunxian, a woman physician during the Ming dynasty is fascinating. One learns about the trials and tribulations of a woman's life during this time, but also about medicine and how things were described via yin and yang. There are a few parts where the description of the treatment may go on a tad too long. However, if you like to be immersed in a culture in the past this book is for you.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women
by Lisa See Pub Date: June 6, 2023
Scribner
Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is a great historical fiction. I learned a lot about the culture in this family saga.
I highly recommend for readers who enjoyed her other books.
4 stars

Amazing story that weaves history and family. 15th century Asia and its culture is the background of this family saga. Lisa See seamlessly teaches the reader about culture and ritual while telling an intriguing story that can not be put down!

This is a well witten and researched book, however I found it to be slow moving. My attention often wavered and I found myself skimming some of the extended medical cases and treatments.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this story of Ancient China in the Ming Dynasty. This tells the story of Tan Yunxian - a female doctor in the 14th century in China. She was born to imperial scholars and was raised to practice medicine by her grandmother - who learned medicine and helped women with troubles only other women could attend to. This story was informative and very interesting. I loved reading a story that shows how women are both revered in Ancient Chinese families and limited by their gender and status in society. I recommend this story for anyone who loves Asian historical fiction and who wants to learn more about Tan Yunxian.

Lisa See's novels are always delightful. Learning more about Chinese history and the treatment of women was a nice change from other books I've been reading.

Wow! This was a fantastic book. I finished it in 2 days because I couldn’t put it down. Are all of Lisa See’s stories as immersive and detailed as this? Because if so, I’m about to read her whole catalog.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women spans Lady Tan’s entire life. We get to see her first as a child and then follow her all the way until her late years. I loved seeing her character grow and her mindset change through the different phases of her life. The writing style changed and matured as the character was changing and maturing as well, which made the reading experience that much more interesting.

The story was immersive. The writing was descriptive enough that I felt like I could picture everything clearly. I found myself constantly thinking about the amount of research the author must’ve done in order to write this, and the note at the end confirms that Lisa See did indeed do an extensive amount of research to make this as historically accurate (in terms of geography and customs) as possible.

I’m also really impressed with how the medical practices were described. I was initially a little confused, but everything medical was explained really well and just enough so that I understood but wasn’t overwhelmed with the technicality of anything.

This book had a strong focus on the relationships between women, and I loved seeing how Lady Tan was able to find her support circle and find ways to help and connect with the women around her. The little mysteries and intricacies of court politics felt like a bonus to the deeper themes and added a lot of entertainment.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this advance copy.

Whew! I could NOT put this down for the last half of the book. So well-researched and engaging. We follow the life of Tan Yunxian, a real-life doctor from 15th century China. I'm seeing a pattern in many of the books I choose - woman overcomes adversity (usually inflicted by men) to ultimately succeed in life. And this was no exception. Yunxian, raised in an upper class family, loses loved ones, learns Eastern medicine from her grandmother, is married off to a stranger, endures heartbreak and literal bone breaking (foot binding!), makes a lifelong friend from a different economic strata, and solves a controversial medical mystery.

The descriptions of China are lush and lovely as are the details of what the characters wore. The story moves quickly but not so quick that essential plot points are skipped. My biggest complaint is the graphic descriptions of the foot binding and crime punishments but I'm a sensitive reader.

4 stars!

We start our story in 1469, when Tan Yunxian, at eight years of age, goes to live with her grandparents. A whole new world unfolds in front of her as she enjoys their aperture and their willingness to share their medical knowledge despite social conventions and traditions. While Miss Zhao, her father’s concubine, introduces her to the idea of the importance of the support of female friendships, it is her grandmother who allows Yunxian to forge a close friendship with a young midwife-in-training, Meiling, already recognizing the ways the girls complement each other. The constraints of Yunxian’s social standing do not leave her room to practice the knowledge acquired from her grandparents or to even maintain a friendship with Meiling. As obstacles arise, Yunxian, aided by the circle of important women in her life, finds the strength to move forward and fulfill her higher purpose.

Thoughts:
This is the reimagining of the story of Tan Yunxian, a female physician of 15th century China and a remarkable figure of her time, who published the earliest medical writings by a female in 1511, titled Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor. Thanks to the author’s extensive research (do not miss her afterword), we get a beautiful and compelling account of what Tan Yunxian’s life might have looked like - from the beautiful hairpins and attire worn, to the dwellings and gardens surrounding women of her social stature. We also get a closer look at the practices and traditions of the time and the contrasting impact on both Yunxian and Meiling, and on their friendship, a bond that will be tested by the ebbs and flows of their own lives.

Ultimately, this is a brilliant, engaging story of how women come together to uplift, inspire, and support each other, and about the strength and comfort drawn from that special relationship. To say that I loved this book is an understatement. I highly recommend it. A five-star read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book.
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Perfect for a book club -- an emotional ride through a story based on a real person -- LadyTan -- a medical practitioner of the time for women. Lisa see is such a talent.

Lisa See is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. While I’m not that interested in medical books, I do love stories about strong intelligent women. I also liked how there was a variety of classes of women who all loved and respected each other. Other than the bound feet, there really wasn’t much of a difference in women. My favorite part was the dragon race. All those people connected and showing love and happiness. The perfect ending to a book! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is based on the real life of Lady Tan, a female doctor in 15th century China. Lisa See has a special way of introducing the reader to exceptional women. She has once again delivered a well researched, well crafted, and fascinating historical novel. Yunxian’s relationship with the women in her life is so unique as she learned to listen and help other women. Her grandmother, also a doctor, served as a wonderful role model, even encouraging her to cultivate what was deemed an unacceptable friendship with the daughter of a midwife.? I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This was a great read that was hard to put down. I enjoyed how See connects women throughout the story of Lady Tan. I also enjoyed the discussion of Chinese medicine and rituals pertaining to women and children. Overall, a great read and would make a great book club choice

Lisa See’s book Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is perfectly named. This beautiful, descriptive, immersive book was hard to put down, and yet I did not want the adventure to end. The women in Yunxian’s life shape her and are the center of her life, especially her heart friendship with Meiling. Together, their working relationship of female doctor and midwife improve the lives of countless women of all classes. The exquisite detail of women’s life, medicine, culture, even court cases caused me to lose myself to another place and time.

Wow. I could not put this book down. My eyes were glued to the page as lady tan's life is described. The intricacies of foot binding, childbirth, family hierarchy, love and marriage, and medical care are explores within these pages was astounding to read. I can't appropriately put into words everything that this book made me feel but it was like a rollercoaster. I was rooting for justice, stressed to figure out the mystery, heartbroken at the loss of characters, and then fascinated in reading the research Lisa See utilized to create this work of art. I will definitely be reading more by her.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It was truly phenomenal

This new novel by one of my favorite authors is amazing. Based upon the true story of a woman physician in 15th century China. The story of how she confounds convention, and her mother in law, to help women is inspiring. I would highly recommend this author and this particular title.

This book reminds us how much women's rights have improved. The story of a strong woman who achieves much despite the rules and constraints of being a woman. It also explores what women will do to insure their children the best possible future. Interesting information about the process of foot binding, and a deeper understanding of why women would put their daughters through this torture. An excellent historical read.