Wonderful descriptive book. A history lesson as well. Characters lovely to learn about. Learned much about this era i never knew. Easy read and a great discussion book. Many relationships to explore. A definite read!

I love everything Lisa See. I spend more time googling and learning more than a lot of other books and she writes beautifully

Another great read by Lisa See! Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Lady Tan's Circle of Women.
This historical fiction was a beautiful read that can teach us a lot about women and medicine in the Chinese culture. I love a good historical fiction book that leaves me able to do more research.

Yunxian finds the knowledge of medicine comforting after her birth mother's death and her move to her grandparent's compound. As she grows older, her knowledge grows and she is able to help more women than just those in her house. When she is called by the Empress to assist with her birth, a mystery begins to form.

Lisa See's latest historical novel based on a female physican form 15th century China is an absolute amazing read. I found the pacing set by the different 'times' in a woman's life was a relaly great way to keep the pace moving but also to set the scene for what I could be expecting. Her writing is lush and I could smell the gardens and hear the rustling of gowns. Yunxian was a protagonist with her own mind and her own morals, a woman who chose to learn and to find happiness and help others.

An absolute stunner of a book!

My library purchased 20 copies of this book for a subscription book. I enjoyed the friendship between women and how they try to negotiate their stations in life without compromising who they are. Generational novel for people who love women’s fiction.

My goodness. Based on research alone (and keep in mind this is written about a rare woman doctor in 15th century China) this historical novel deserves 5 stars. So many of the occurrences actually took place that it is amazing to think about. Lisa See writes a compelling story of the lives of women at that time, including foot binding; child birth; lack of freedom of movement, of marriage partner, of activity, of healthcare. Her characters live on the page and her descriptions of place are wonderful. Especially fascinating was the marriage bed which contains 3 rooms! Visit lisasee.com to catch a glimpse of this actual bed! The only overdone part for me was the repetitive listing of the herbs, etc. used in the medicinal teas.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner/Simon and Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

Based on deeply researched stories about the first female physicians from 15th-century China, LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN takes us back to the Ming Dynasty, where a young Tan Yunxian grows up under the caring, upper-class tutelage of her grandmother, who shares her knowledge about Chinese medicine with her. Over the years, Yunxian befriends a poor apprenticing midwife, and together they practice medicine focused on pregnancy and childbirth, as well as puzzle their way through medical emergencies and mysteries, despite the many restrictions that society places on them. When Yunxian is forced into an arranged marriage, it breaks her away from a circle of female friendships and into a space where she fears being confined. That Yunxian finds a way to continue practicing as a physician—in healing arts that continue to influence medicine today—is inspiring.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this e-arc.*

I love Lisa See’s books. I will continue to read any new ones she writes because her stories are so captivating. I end up learning so much about the culture she writes about, but I also feel deeply connected to her characters. I appreciated that this book felt a little less dark than her last one, and I think I liked the storyline the most out of her past few.

Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a powerful read about the strength of women during a time when women had their place - and were also limited by their position in society (15th century China).

Based on a true story, this is a captivating tale of women helping other women. It is also a reimagining of the life of a woman who was remarkable in the Ming Dynasty and would be considered remarkable today. This is Lisa See doing what Lisa See does best! She transports us to the Ming Dynasty to step inside the lives of several women. Reflecting on the four phases of a woman's life: milk years, hair-pinning, rice and salt, and finally sitting quietly, we follow Yunxian's coming of age and wisdom, 'we are all trapped to some extent by our physical and emotional selves, but each woman is trapped in a different way.'

This is something I have never thought about, but realize in some small way still exists today. We all have "seasons" of our lives and what transpires in them affects us and the trajectory of our life. I hope that I am instilling the belief that anything is possible with my own daughter and that she doesn't feel limited in the ways that women did in the 15th century or our current times. I also am left with the thought that we all have a circle of women who help is in good and bad days. I am hopeful that this kindness continues to be extended to others to make us all better people.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Scribner books for sharing the wisdom in Lisa See through her books. She is a treasure!

I have yet to read a Lisa See book that I didn't love. She has the uncanny ability to immerse the reader in whatever time frame and circumstances she is writing about. I was so very excited to win a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway!

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a serious, slow burn read. It is an in-depth look at early 1900 Chinese culture including foot binding, masochism, concubines and the stark differences in socioeconomic levels. This story follows Yunxian as a young girl who loses her mother at a young age and is raised by her loving, well-educated grandparents. She is treasured by them, and begins to learn the world of medicine and healing - specifically to women -through her Grandmother Ru, who learned from her mother. While still a teenager, Yunxian is married off to a wealthy family, in keeping with custom. The story follows her life as a wife and a mother, her lifelong friendship with the midwife's daughter, Meiling, and her quest to be able to utilize her medical knowledge to treat and heal the women around her.

As expected, the women in this book face so many hardships and struggles. The supreme goal (and duty) of every wife was to have sons to carry on the family name. To have no sons was considered failure. The fear of failure was around every corner. This book really captures the heartache, loneliness and desolation that women during that timeframe felt.

Yunxian and Meiling were such well developed characters - as were many of the unlikeable women around them. The author gives the reader a front seat look at what being a woman with no voice and no control was like. A look at how easily women turned against each other t0 gain status. This is definitely a slow burn read, but is also amazing look at the beginnings of medicine and the journey for women to be heard. There was a depth of emotion to this book that I don't often find. The friendship between Meiling and Yunxian and the relationship between Yunxian and her grandparents (especially with her grandmother) were so honest and heartfelt. I was captivated by this book. There is so much to this story that it's hard to capture it in a review.

If you enjoy historical fiction and learning about different cultures and traditions then I think you will love this one too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the digital and physical ARC to read and review!

Lisa See does not disappoint. Her characters are vivid and elicit compassion. She presents a true picture of life in 15th century China.

Lisa See reliably provides yet another vivid journey into a long ago time and place and doesn't disappoint! When I see that she has put out another novel, I know to expect something well-researched, with lots of colorful description and attention to detail. In this novel, she transports us to 15th century China and follows one woman's trajectory as a daughter of a well-to-do family who is trained by her grandparents (and particularly her grandmother) as a doctor. While the plot is good enough by itself, it is really See's ability to place us in the setting that makes her writing so enjoyable. I loved reading about how health and medicine were understood, and also about the family structures and details of daily living. Some authors' descriptions are excessive and tedious, but See keeps it fascinating, relevant, and immersive.

This was not my usual kind of book but it was actually really compelling! I feel like historical fiction about women often has to walk a thin line between downplaying the genuinely horrific conditions many women suffered and "my heroine is Not Like Other Girls" syndrome. Lisa See threads the needle — it's a very nuanced portrait of Tan Yunxian as both extremely privileged (to be wealthy by birth and marriage, to be a legitimate daughter, to be educated by indulgent grandparents, to have birth family willing to intervene on her behalf with her husband's family) and simultaneously marginalized by her role as wife and daughter and, of course, by the limited mobility caused by her bound feet. The book definitely goes into (somewhat gruesome) detail about what having bound feet entails, but also sympathetically considers the status they conveyed, and why women with bound feet would in turn bind their daughters' and why women with unbound feet would envy them. It's a book about medicine and consequently has a lot of depictions of illness, injury, and labor that are not for the faint of heart, which you may want to consider before picking it up if that's a particular sensitivity for you. Because on the central importance of women's friendships in the story, I think it may also have special appeal for fans of women's fiction as well as historical fiction. Very much appreciated the detailed notes in the author's afterword about the sources and scholars she consulted while writing!

I wasn't expecting to like this book about a female doctor set in 15th century China as much as I did. This was very well-researched but unlike some of See's other books, the telling of the actual history did not get in the way of the story. The book spans many decades and has many characters but never felt confusing. There is so much to unpack in this book based on a real Chinese woman. It would make an excellent book club choice.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is the best story I've read in a long while. As always, Lisa See creates a beautiful and heart-wrenching story about Chinese women – their strengths, difficulties and lives. It's a story of Yunxian, a woman in China during the 14th century. A time when women had little rights. Her feet have been bound and it's a pride for the family. At a young age her mother dies, her father is never around and she is sent to live with her grandparents. Her grandmother is a woman doctor and during the time Yunxian lives with her, teaches Yunxian about medicine. Yunxian also learns medicine from being with her friend Meiling, a young girl learning to be a midwife. Yunxian is married to a wealthy family and her mother-in-law doesn't like her practicing medicine or being with her best friend Meiling. Yunxian's life is dictated by her mother-in-law, and it's a strict life.

This story takes many twists and turns throughout the life of the family. There's a mystery in the story that is very intriguing. Life in China during that time period is different for the rich and the poor. MId-wives and doctors have very different roles. Doctors cannot see women in person. Imagine.

Please read this book. It is so good. Yunxian and Melling's life is so enthralling that you will NOT want to put it down. I hated when it ended.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster, Inc. for a chance to read this book. I loved, loved it.

It is always a treat when a new book comes out by Lisa See. To top it off I was lucky to be given an ARC of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, her newest novel coming out June 6, 2023. What I like most about her books are the characters and what I learn historically. This book hit the mark on both these points.

The book is based on the true story of Tan Yunxian a women physician who practiced medicine during the 15th century in China. I had no idea there were women doctors during that time. It was extremely interesting to learn how medicine was practiced then. Also to learn about the differences in the way male and female doctors and midwives practiced medicine was fascinating. During that time it was said that “an educated woman was a worthless woman.” Tan, Meiling and her grandmother proved this statement wrong.

Friendships between women of different classes are made when really not allowed. The bonds made between the women in this book are beautiful. Tan, her grandmother and Meiling are all strong, remarkable women who fight for what they believe in. Their lives are enriched by each other. As in all Lisa See books, I wish I could have met these women in person.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a beautiful story and very well researched. I loved the fictional liberties See took as well to make the story not so clinical. I love all her books!

My thanks to Net Galley and Scribner/ Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this e-book.

This is my first book by Lisa See and it is hard to review. I appreciate her extensive research and descriptions of Ancient China in the 15th Century - the history and traditions. It was hard to read about the very descriptive sections on foot binding, childbirth and women's issues, and a patriarchal society where women were so limited by a class system, men and their very painful feet limiting their movement. She was kept in her family's compound never to see the outside world. Even when she was summoned by the Emperor, she had to be transported in a palanquin (a box with no windows carried on poles by 4 men).

What I did enjoy reading about was Lady Tan's life in all four phases: "Milk Days" - her childhood and best friend Meiling; "Hair-Pinning Days" - preparing for her arranged marriage to the "right" man from the "right" family; "Rice-and-Salt Days" - binding her daughter's feet, caring for those in the household, and always subject to her mother-in-law; "Sitting Quietly" - her older years after her children were grown and married. Since she was a well-respected doctor, she continued her work and wrote her own book on her medical treatments.

Although I found this book's history and traditions interesting, it also felt very long and the reading was tedious at times. I wish I was left caring more about the characters than the time period which I was constantly looking up details. Much of the medical and childbirth stories were very descriptive, over so, in my opinion.

I love anything Lisa See writes and this novel was particularly engaging as it is based on a lady doctor in China long ago. It's obvious that a lot of research went into writing it and the back story of how See came to write this book is almost as interesting as the book itself. It's an excellent addition to the genre of historical fiction on China and readers can be assured that though it is fiction, it is fully representative of the time period.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's another winner from Lisa See!

based on the true story of tan yunxian, chinese physician during the ming dynasty.
lisa see always delivers with the most well-researched, stunning historical fiction about the most badass women. i trust her books will always fully transport me into whatever setting she has chosen, with descriptions so lush i can smell the flowers and see the landscapes being described. i adored learning the ways of traditional chinese medicine alongside yunxian and am in awe of lisa see and her knowledge and writing ability. im incapable of writing a review that’ll do this book justice