Author Lisa See has a list of published titles to her credit, most recently “The Island of Sea Women” and “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane.” Her historical novels are rich in poignant plots and captivating characters brought to life with a narrative style that often reads like poetry.
Whether already a fan or discovering this writer for the first time, “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women” delivers in a myriad of ways.
‘Lady Tan’s Circle of Women’
In 1511, the historical Tan Yunxian published a book of her medical cases, “Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor.” It was this source and many more which the author relied on to craft her story in a very authentic fashion: how the gardens were landscaped, the type of food they ate, the behavior in court, foot-binding, and so on. A central theme throughout is how physicians treated their patients. While male doctors dominated, there were a few women doctors but many midwives who were better suited to handle the challenges of childbirth.
The story begins with a young Tan Yunxian, who grows up in an elite household. She is not allowed to leave the confines of the family compound. Daily visits with her mother, who instructs her on the rules of being an attractive and alluring wife, knowing her place, and following established decorum are soaked in eagerly by the daughter. Then, at the age of 28, her mother dies leaving her to cope with an absent father and his concubine Miss Zhao, who is the biological mother of her young brother Yifeng.
Suffering from the loss of her mother and separation of her father (who is away studying for exams to raise his administrative and scholarly stature in society), Yunxian feels abandoned and alone. But she quickly comes under the wings of her Grandmother Ru, who is one of a handful of female doctors in China. Soon, she is learning about medicinal herbs and the pillars of Chinese medicine. She absorbs this knowledge quickly.
Another gift Grandmother Ru gives to Yunxian is introducing her to Meiling, the daughter of a prominent midwife. They form a fast friendship that will last well into their adult years.
The Road to Wellness
Yunxian is set to become a doctor. She wants to help people, particularly focusing on women’s illnesses. Likewise, Meiling wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps, being on hand to help and welcome new life.For Yunxian, the road to nurturing a career is cut short when she is sent to spend her days as a new wife in another family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights. Now her duties are reciting poetry, embroidering bound-foot slippers, playing a stringed instrument, and above all, giving birth to sons.
She has a meddling mother-in-law who does not approve of her treating any girls or women in the household, forbidding her to practice medicine; seeing Meiling is not an option, either.
But the story certainly doesn’t end there for either of these young and enterprising women. Their paths intersect as they move forward, sometimes painfully and sometimes joyfully, but always with each other in purpose and heart.
The chapters move swiftly. The narrative is lush in language, insight, and renewal. Historical details add dimension and color to each scene. Readers will find themselves immersed in a time and place in history brought to life in a mesmerizing way.
This is a powerful story of friendship: of women helping other women succeed. It’s written in dramatic fashion.
While the women are the dominant figures in this read, the males play pivotal and supporting roles. They are their own force and energy.
It’s the interplay between all that creates this triumphal and remarkable tale made even more compelling as it is based on an actual figure who lived centuries ago in the Ming dynasty.
Prepare to be enlightened, entertained, and engrossed in this thoughtful and poignant narrative.
