Lady Tan's Circle of Women: A Novel

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel Lady Tan's Circle of I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel -Lady Tan's Circle of Women-. The story captivated me from the very first page, drawing me into its rich historical setting and complex characters. Each chapter unfolded new layers of intrigue and emotion, making it impossible to put the book down.

I found myself eagerly turning the pages, completely absorbed in the lives and struggles of the women portrayed in the story. Overall, it was a compelling read that fully held my attention throughout.
Lady Tan's Circle of Women kept me engaged; I could not put it down.

This is the 6th Lisa See book that I have read. As always her writing drew me into a time period I know little about which is one of the reasons I love her writing. I especially enjoyed having her come to my book club and explain her writing process. The sheer amount of research that she puts into her work is amazing. It was so interesting how she weaved in true accounts into the fictional story such as the scene with the worm. Highly recommend and I look forward to her next book which she said is 30 years in the making.

Interesting historical fiction about women and china.

The story of a lady doctor in the early 1500's had so much influence in spite of rules and laws to keep her tucked away.

See takes the reader into the shielded world of Ming dynasty privilege, allowing us sneak peeks into the lives of the working class and servitude. Within the world of privilege are the women and men sold into powerful families to serve,; relying on benefactors for protection and access. For me, this story is of women navigating a patriarchal dynamic with cunning and creativity. See reveals the realities of being a woman in the time of great emperors, and vast wealth that separates the classes. Yunxian and Meiling are two characters that live parallel lives, one is of privilege and the other working class and bound to a role that is reviled and revered. A match is made between these two girls iby the senior women that love them. Yunxian's grandmother relies on her knowledge as a doctor and experiences as a woman to tie these girls together, taking them through marriages, adulthood, motherhood, medicine and tradition. See minimized the harsh realities of what life was mostly like for most people at this time, however she takes care to stay with Yunxian, giving the reader access into the protected gardens of the women of the great houses of the time. The blend of tradition and pillars of Chinese medicine as well as the laws and codes of conduct was fascinating and enlightening for me. See honors the rich and challenging history of China, paying homage to the great contributions of ancient Chinese medical practitioners.