Lady Tan's Circle of Women

For readers of See's beloved Snowflower and the Secret Fan and The Island of Sea Women, this new historical fiction from New York Times bestselling author Lisa See is ideal. It is based on the actual tale of a female physician from 15th-century China.

Confucius once said, "An educated woman is a worthless woman," yet Tan Yunxian, who was nurtured by her grandparents to be useful, was born into a wealthy family but was plagued by loneliness, death, and separation. The Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—are the cornerstones of Chinese medicine, and Yunxian learns them from her grandmother, one of the few female physicians in China. A man can never perform these procedures on a female patient.

Together with Meiling, a young midwife-in-training, Yunxian learns about women's ailments at an early age, many of which are related to birthing. Despite the rule that states a doctor should never touch blood while a midwife often comes into contact with it, the two females quickly become friends and discover a common goal. They also swear to be lifelong companions, sharing in each other's victories and setbacks. They remind themselves that beauty may emerge from adversity: "No mud, no lotus."

However, Yunxian's mother-in-law prevents her from visiting Meiling and from lending a hand to the ladies and girls in the home when Yunxian is forced into an arranged marriage. Yunxian is expected to behave like a respectable woman would: sew on slippers, play musical instruments, read poetry, have boys, and live eternally within the family's property, the Garden of Fragrant Delights.

How could a lady like Yunxian overcome these customs, cure women and girls in all spheres of society, and have such a significant life that half a millennium later, many of her treatments are still in use? In what ways could the power of friendship facilitate or impede these endeavors? A compelling tale of women supporting other women is found in Lady Tan's Circle of Women. In addition, it is a victorious retelling of the life of a lady who was noteworthy during the Ming dynasty and is still noteworthy in our times.