Thank you @simonschusterca & @netgalley for sending me this review copy. Opinions are mine.
I didn’t expect to get so into this book. I love historical fiction but I generally prefer 20th century. Although I’ve enjoyed some of her previous novels, I was surprised that I stayed up late to finish this.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is based on the true story of a woman doctor, Yunxian, in the Ming dynasty, 500 years ago in China. In 1511, at age 50, she published a book of her medical cases involving women and girls. Lisa See says on the @momsdonthavetimetoreadbooks podcast, “she was a remarkable woman in her time and would probably be still considered remarkable today. Many of her remedies are used in traditional Chinese medicine today.”
The novel follows Yunxian through her childhood and teenage years with her grandparents, learning to become a doctor for women under her grandmother’s tutelage, and into her marriage into a prominent family. We read about her struggles to produce a son, deal with her strict in-laws, and fight to be able to practice medicine to heal the women and girls around her. We also follow her close friendship with the local midwife, Meiling, and learn about the differences in their practices, as well as status in society.
There’s a lot of talk about foot binding for the higher classes of women in China. I’ve read about it before but could never really picture it. Through this book, and some googling, I finally understand what it looks like.
I love that this book touches on class, status and gender roles, and how these women rose to prominence through their respective careers, earning respect. I enjoyed reading about the different cases Yunxian attended to. The descriptions of medical issues are in different words, but some were still recognizable today.
I often remark on books that have infertility representation and, while the treatment was obviously different in 15th century China, infertility is definitely a central topic in this novel, demonstrating that women have been struggling with infertility for centuries.

15th Century Chinese Female Physician

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See is a historical novel set in 15th-century China. The story reimagines the life of Tan Yunxian, a real historical figure who was one of the few female physicians in Ming Dynasty China. After her mother's death, Yunxian is raised by her grandparents, who are both doctors. Her grandmother, Lady Ru, teaches her the art of healing women, a practice frowned upon by society. Despite marrying into a wealthy family that restricts her from practicing medicine, Yunxian finds ways to secretly help women in need. Her story is a testament to the power of female friendship and the strength women derive from supporting one another.

In conclusion, "Lady Tan’s Circle of Women" is a captivating and enlightening novel that celebrates the power of women's solidarity and the courage to defy societal norms. Lisa See’s meticulous research and evocative storytelling make this a must-read for fans of historical fiction.

This was a fascinating book! I was completely immersed in Lady Tan’s world, and the only reason it took me as long to read as it did was that Lisa See’s historical detail kept making me pause to look up the real events that inspired her. Looking forward to reading more of her work!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa See nailed it again. The way she brought the characters to life was so well done. I appreciate how perfectly researched the details were in the novel. It truly made the book come alive. This will be a great book club book (as all of See's book are).

Wish I had read this sooner, it was delightful! See writes gut wrenching events with captivating prose that kept me wanting more. She also completely transported me into the historical setting and social structure…

"Lady Tan's Circle of Women," by Lisa See is a thoughtful book of historical fiction about a female physician in 15th/16th century China.

After her mother's death, 8-year-old, Tan Yunxian moves in with her grandparents, two well-respected physicians. Yunxian's grandfather taught himself later in life, but her grandmother was a "hereditary doctor" of women's maladies. Grandmother Ru sees Yunxian's brightness and starts to teach her granddaughter the techniques of examination, diagnosis and treatment.

Though Yunxian's is not always able to use her skills, particularly after she moves in with her husband's family, slowly, her skills become widely known and she is asked to treat the Empress herself. It is with these skills and the friendships that Lady Tan develops over the years that enables her to achieve her greatest successes.

Although a little slow at times, this is a lovely story of how friendship, patience, compassion, and confidence can lead to great accomplishment. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Absolutely love this book! Reccomend for anyone who loves history and feels feminine rage. I read this as a buddy read and my friend and I absolutely loved it and want to read more from the author

Lady Tan's Circle of Women tells the story of a young woman from 15th century China who is raised by her paternal grandparents, both of whom are doctors, and learns their trade while also learning how to be a refined woman. She becomes friends with an unusual playmate, one who she would usually not be permitted to spend time with, a young midwife in training, someone who is seen as dirty because she touches blood. But the midwife's mother and Lady Tan's grandmother come to an agreement. The two girls grow up and grow apart due to circumstance, but their stories continue to entwine and intersect. The story covers culture and traditions from this time period, including footbinding, as well as a deeply interesting story about a woman who is intelligent, caring, poised and independent. The time period allowed for lots of interesting storylines and themes, including mortality rates, small pox, betrothals, male lineage (and male preference) and concubines. The characters are incredibly well developed and the setting is very descriptive. The story was linear and it was easy to follow even though it spanned decades. I loved this book and would highly recommend it!

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See reminded me about how much I enjoy historical fiction about Chinese culture and I think this is now my new favourite book of hers.

In this book, which is inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th century China, we follow the story of Yunxian Tan from childhood to old age. Born into an elite family, she’s predominantly raised by her grandparents and her grandmother is one of the very few female doctors in China. Under her grandmother’s tutelage, Yunxian learns all about women’s illnesses and befriends the Meiling, the daughter of the local midwife. Yunxian and Meiling have a special bond and if you’ve ever read a Lisa See book, then you’ll know that these strong female relationships are an important part of her stories. Over the years, life circumstances change, Yunxian is married off and her mother in law forbids her to practice her medicine or to see Meiling.

What unfolds is a tremendously researched book about life in 15th century China, including foot binding practices (which will never cease to fascinate me), how medicine was practiced and who could practice it, and the dynamics of the family compound in the upper class. But most of all, and maybe even most importantly, this is the story of female friendship, and pushing the boundaries of century old traditions.

I loved every page of this book. The research was meticulous and I loved that See used many of the real medical cases from Yunxian’s journal that remains in existence today. There is so much detail and depth between this book’s pages and I truly don’t know how See does it. What a gift she has to transport the reader and immerse them in a world from centuries ago while never once losing pace or boring us with so much detail. In fact, my only complaint is, I didn’t want the story to end.

I read any historical fiction based in Asia - and Lisa See is the master in this genre/subject. I was first intrigued with the time/age of Lady Tan's Circle of Women - the 1400-1500s China. What a world it was and like any great historical fiction novel - this book made me curious to find sources about China during this time period.

One of my favourite things about Lisa See novels are the conflict and emotion between characters. The depth and vividness of the interactions and emotions grabs you into whatever time period/scenario she is writing about.

Highly recommend this book for any historical fiction readers. Read about a time and place you absolutely have not read about before!

Thank you Netgalley for providing an Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa See is really a master at historical storytelling. Her characters are compelling and their stories affecting. This is a world where a woman's worth is seen wholly in what she can bring to her husband and his family, how she presents herself and serves the edification of his family name, that she bear sons, that she work to elevate their status. Our main character is smart and had hoped to be able to both practice her healing techniques as well as be a boon to her husband's family. But we come to understand that both his father and mother are completely against it.

See is dedicated to representing the world as accurately as possible, from the practice of foot binding to how it changes the very anatomy of the lower body to the imperial exams for elevation and placement to how men are able to collect concubines and use them as they see fit. The feelings of uneasiness, anger, sadness that she is able to evoke in her readers means she has been able to capture the atmosphere and cultural significance exceptionally well.

Ever since reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I have anticipated each novel by Lisa See and her poetic tellings of Asian history and culture.

Her latest novel, Lady Tan's Circle of Women, is based on the true story of a female physician in 15th century china. After the death of her mother, Yunxian is sent to live with her grandparents, both are whom are medical practitioners. They teach her their craft as well as how to live properly as a woman of her station. Unfortunately, she learns, after her arranged marriage, that those two things don't necessarily go together. How can she be true to her training and still be a respectful daughter in law? How does one woman go on to change the course of medical practice in her country, developing techniques and remedies that will long outlive her?

This is a rich telling of womanhood, class, struggle for independence and self, friendship and marriage in Chinese culture. The details See manages to capture not only tell the story but educate. I was fascinated with the details she shared about the marriage bed (the physical bed with it's compartments and carvings), the dress, the compound in which they lived and, especially, the medical treatments with all their unique reasonings and developments. The Ming dynasty came alive on these pages.

I loved it all.

Lady Tan’s Circle Of Women ian my favourite book by Lisa See but I appreciate the research that was required to write this book. Unfortunately I didn’t connect with the characters.

Another really moving historical fiction novel about two Chinese women and their lifelong friendship/companionship. One a higher born/classed woman and the other an apprentice midwife. I really enjoyed learning about Chinese midwives during this period.

Great on audio narrated by Jennifer Lim and Justin Chien (although I did find it hard at times to identify when the story switched from each woman's POV). This is definitely a new favorite by Lisa See. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.75 stars

Lisa See is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I love how she highlights the stories of female friendships and familial bonds. In <i>Lady Tan's Circle of Women</i>, See introduces us to Tan Yunxian, an elite class woman growing up in 15th Century China. After her mother passes, Yunxian is raised by her grandmother who teaches her medicine. From there we learn how Yunxian's pursuit of medicine is hindered by what others expect of her as a woman. Medicine is otherwise left up to male doctors who sit behind screens when they treat female patients and rely on an intermediary to relay messages to their patients.

Meiling is a widwife of lower social status and Yunxian's closest companion. They grow close as children but drift apart as they grow older. Personally I was not convinced that Meiling grew out of her envy of Yunxian which made me care less for her as time went on. Not the strongest depiction of female friendship by See but it still provided great insight into female physicians of the time.


Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC.

Yunxian is born into an elite family, and at a young age loses her mother. She goes to live with her grandparents and there she begins to learn to become a doctor, in the practice of Chinese medicine. She specializes in the illnesses and maladies of women. But when she is arranged to marry into another family her mother in law wants to hold her back from practicing medicine and just becoming the perfect wife who mothers sons, and act proper. Lady Tan finds a way to practice her knowledge, and help women around her, save lives, and foster relationships and friendships with other women of different classes.

This was a very moving and beautiful novel, the power Lady Tan had was inspiring. It was such a fascinating insight to how life was during the Ming Dynasty. I learned a lot about the culture of foot binding, what medicine was life, family dynamics, and superstitions.

"Whether animal or woman, we are man's possessions. We women exist to give him heirs and feed, clothe, and amuse him."

This was my first book by Lisa See, and wow - this story infuriated me, it touched my heart and gave me a whole new respect for what women in China have endured throughout history.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is based on the true story of Tan Yunxian, a woman doctor in the Ming dynasty of 15th-century China who published a book of her formulas and medical cases that are still being used in traditional Chinese medicine today.

The story highlights how women's roles were such to serve, listen, and obey men. The beauty standards of the day also dictated that they deform their feet with foot binding in order to fascinate and please men -- All of this I found incredibly hard to read about.

I loved all of the female characters: their camaraderie, friendship and all of the themes of women helping women.

I so enjoyed the writing, learning about 15th Century China and reading about some of the real-life cases reflected through this fictional story. Incredibly well-researched.

I can't wait to read more of Lisa See's work.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️ for me.

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

Thank you so much to @simonschustersca for the #gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Read if you like: family saga, based off of real historical figures.
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The book follows Tan Yunxian, inspired by the true story of this historical figure. She grows up in a wealthy family during the Ming Dynasty of 15th century China. We follow her as she grows into a young woman and marries into a wealthy family, and then as she grows into a prominent female doctor.
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I loved reading about Lady Tan and 15th century China. She was so interesting and the historical detail in this book was superb. I appreciated the glimpses into family life and customs during this time period and Lady Tan was an amazing figure to learn from. I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed the time period this was set in (16th-century China) & reading about the medical practices at that time. I found it very interesting, as well a viewing how life was for a woman in that period!
You could tell there was a LOT of research put in to this book, which I loved, but at the same time, sometimes it was just too much information to take in or remember. It felt too’ wordy’ at times, which I know is a dumb way to explain a book. Also…the foot binding scenes. Argh, that was hard to handle.
I think this would be a good pick if you’re looking for an interesting historical fiction read!

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review. This is on sale now!!

Based on the true story of a women's doctor in 15th century China, author Lisa See has written a mesmerizing story of a truly brave woman. Lady Tan Yunxian studies medicine from a young age with her grandparents and uses this knowledge throughout her life to help women suffering in a time when doctoring for them was not common. Well written fiction from an amazing author, recommended reading.