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.
#LadyTansCircleofWomen#NetGalley#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover#netgalleyreviewer#bookstagrammer#bookreviews#goodreads#netgalleyreviews#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover

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.

Lisa See’s latest novel immerses the reader in the Chengua Emperor’s reign in the latter half of the 1400s. The culture is fascinating, as the reader learns even more about foot binding than in her previous novels as well as the ins and outs of marriage during the time and concubines. As many know, having a son, or even multiple sons, was the focus of a woman’s entire life because carrying on the family dynasty was so important. Foot binding was alluring to men due to the shape of the foot. An interesting tidbit is that the smell of the foot added to the experience. Men were tantalized(!) by this element.

As always, See does impeccable research, and I loved the message of women supporting each other and pushing the boundaries of the culture, as our main character Lady Tan did practicing medicine she learned from her grandmother. She didn’t lie around in luxury, as she could have given her station in life.

The author’s backlist exhibits friendship between two women with such authenticity and realness. There are ebbs and flows, jealousy and heartache intermixed with laughter and joy. This novel seems to have more characters than See traditionally has in her novels, at least in my recollection. So the fundamental friendship between the main character and Meiling is diluted a bit. The reader is told more than shown their friendship. While I feel like I knew the main character well, I wanted to come away with more about their friendship.

Despite the friendship element not being as vivid as her past books, I really liked the intrigue that was added to this one. There is a bit of a mystery as a layer, and I appreciated that. It was thought-provoking, and it was merged well into the culture of the time.

I felt a tone shift for the last few chapters that seemed as if the author “was trying to land the plane.” It almost felt like an epilogue, a really long epilogue, starting at the 90% mark. My feedback would be that I think it could be smoother for the reader if some work is done before publication. I did catch a typo at 91% - “discretely” when it should have been “discreetly.” I hope it’s fixed by publication.

Overall, a strong addition to Lisa See’s catalog!

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa See always does such a wonderful job bringing me into the lives of her characters. Her extensive research brings far away times and places to life in a way that, for me, is a rare find. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women did not disappoint. If you love Lisa See’s other books, you will love this one. If you haven’t read her other books, start here then read them all!

This historical novel inspired by a real woman physician in 15th century China has everything: close friendships between women, a difficult mother-in-law, gossipy concubines, wise grandparents, spinster aunties, court intrigue, murder mystery, exquisite clothing descriptions, a detailed perspective of foot binding practices, illnesses and the corresponding TCM treatments of that time — the list goes on. Throughout all that’s happening, the love and complex relationships among the women lifts this story in a way that was emotional without being mawkish.

I started this book early on a Saturday morning with the intention of stretching it out over the weekend, but ended up devouring it in a day because I couldn’t put it down. It was easy to visualize the world of Lady Tan thanks to See’s storytelling style. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of her oeuvre. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in historical medicine, is intrigued by this time period, or enjoys stories of strong relationships between incredible women.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Wow! Wow! And just wow! Lady Tan's Circle of Women is another excellent novel by Lisa See! It's easy to see that the research that went into this novel is simply superb. Throughout the story It was as if I could see so much of what the main character, Tan Yunxian, was seeing. I also felt that I was sharing in many of the emotions she felt, as well.
It's the 15th century and women from well to do families are expected to limit their learning to the womanly arts. But Tan Yunxian has experienced too much sorrow to settle for that. Besides, her grandparents are well respected doctors and they're not about to let her obvious intelligence go to waste.
So, at the age of eight she begins to learn about women’s health along with the local midwife's daughter. Soon, they've become best friends and sharing everything with each other. Too soon, they've both been promised in marriage and will now belong to their husbands.
Yunxian finds that her mother-in-law is a tough taskmaster and she's only allowed to work on the womanly arts and making babies. But when she observes a sick child all her training kicks in and she has to help.

This was a truly amazing and educational novel that taught me so much about medicine as practiced in Imperial China among the elite class. The role of midwives and male doctors in diagnosing and treating women was so very interesting. That a. male doctor could not even feel the pulse of a woman without layers of cloth separating his hand from her wrist and had to rely on intermediaries to ask questions about a female patient’s condition was quite surprising To a modern reader.

We meet the main character, Tan Yunxian (Lady Tan) in 1469, when she is just eight years old and interpreting her ailing mother’s issues for a doctor. There is a mention of the odor of the mother’s feet and red streaks up her legs. In this way the author introduces the medical issues that often arose from the practice of foot binding; although I had learned of foot binding, had never heard of the serious physical ailments it could cause, or even deaths. Also, the philosophy of Chinese traditional medicine is explained gradually, including the Four Examinations used, the pulses, the concepts of yin and yang, and how they become unbalanced, requiring treatment.

The book follows the girl Tan Yunxian as she grows older and learns medical principles and treatment from her beloved grandmother, a female physician. Being a female doctor in Imperial China was exceedingly rare, but Tan shows a particular aptitude so her grandmother mentors her. Her grandmother also encourages a special relationship with Meiling, the daughter of a local midwife. Though their social classes are very disparate, the two girls develop a close friendship and help each other greatly both personally and professionally from childhood on as both follow medical paths. Particularly interesting was that only a midwife could deliver a baby as she would be considered soiled by the blood involved—so the male doctor attending would distance himself from the expectant mother during delivery.

Tan Yunxian herself has an arranged marriage as was the practice in elite circles. and becomes subservient to her mother-in-law Lady Kuo, as was the custom. The social standing and activities of various types of women—wives, concubines, daughters, widows, and so on, is elegantly described and very interesting. What most stands out to the contemporary reader is the essential powerlessness of women or concubines without sons. Even with sons, women from elite families lived their lives unable to venture outside the family compound. Women like Meiling, however, lived on the outside, and she describes what the outside world is like to an eager Tan Yunxian.

We follow Tan Yunxian through her life as a mother, wife, and doctor, and even to the Forbidden City to help with infant deliveries. I personally found this part of the book especially intriguing since I had the opportunity to visit The Forbidden City some years ago and wondered what it was like when the Emperor resided there. When she finally returns home, it is to discover a terrible outbreak of “heavenly flowers” or smallpox, and she works long and hard days until the outbreak subsides, though many do not survive.

I really learned so much from this book, which is clearly incredibly researched by the author. To find in the author’s notes that there was an actual Lady Tan who was a doctor was so interesting as well. There were a few places where I thought description was a bit too protracted, but this did not detract from the excellent quality of the narrative.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this interesting book in return for an honest review.

One of our favorite historical fiction authors who has brought us the Chinese culture in various historical periods has delivered another amazing book.
Based on a real woman physician in 15-century China, we travel back centuries to a time when there were almost no woman doctors and society deemed male doctors not be permitted to actually see or touch the women they were treating.
We follow Yunxian as a young girl who goes to live with her doctor grandparents after her mother’s death and then to her difficult life living with her husband’s family as was tradition. While the medical practices seem archaic and certainly the footbinding is horrific, the motivation for this woman to provide medicine as it was best known at that time to both wealthy women as well as poor women makes for an unforgettable book.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is the story of the earliest female doctors. In China in the 1400's there were no female physicians. This is the story of Yunxian,who becomes Lady Tan, life. It starts when she is a child and her mother dies. Her grandparents are doctors and they see to it that she acquires the skills to treat the women of their family. She marries and it is traditional that she just be a wife to her husband. She, however, has other ideas. This is a fascinating story of a strong central female character, but also the story of the women around her. This is a great story about women supporting each other under restrictive circumstances.
I would highly recommend this book. It is the story of a woman finding her place in the world.

Thank you to #netgalley, #LisaSee and #Scribner for a copy of this book.

All of the reasons that I loved Lisa See's book, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" are found in this book as well. This author's writing talent simply oozes off the page as she opens the reader's heart and mind to a distant time and place.
This story will take you on a journey to ancient China and into the lives and customs of its people during the 1500s; especially those that effect women. The stages of a woman's life are followed through the friendship of two women; one a poor midwife and the other a daughter, of upper-class parents, who is training in the medical arts with her grandmother. During a time when every woman's main purpose was to give her husband sons, these women devote their lives to the care and treatment of women during pregnancy and childbirth, and also throughout their lives. We learn once again about the tortuous custom of feet binding and the importance of filial duty. Their lives are changed by heartbreak, los, and deadly contagious diseases.

One of the most interesting facts I learned is that some of the fictional stories in this book are influenced by real life cases that are part of a book published in 1511 titled, "Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor", which was the author's inspiration for this book.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for giving me the honor of being allowed to read and review a digital ARC of this wonderful book. All opinions given here are my own.

4 stars. Lisa See does it yet again. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women was great. The book is broken up into four parts of Yunxian’s life (a child, early marriage life, middle age, and old age). Our main character, Yunxian learns from her grandmother about treating women and their ailments. Even though she has the privileged life and bound feet, she still wants more from her life behind rice paper doors in the family compound. She is allowed friendship with a midwife’s daughter and they become practically inseparable. Yuxian is forced to act like the perfect wife and mother, and unfortunately it really holds her back from her true calling of helping women.

A captivating story (that is actually based loosely on a true story), about love, loss, friendship, and womanhood. I love reading about the cultural aspects of foot-binding and the different herbs and medicines that were used and why during that time. See always paints a picture of beautiful landscapes, food, and things like dresses, and she didn’t disappoint on that with this book either.