Lady Tan's Circle of Women

The latest historical novel from Lisa See is inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th-century China. The subject of See’s novel is Tan Yunxian, a real-life woman who lived in China during the Ming dynasty. She went on to become a “ming yi” — famous doctor — and published a compendium of 31 cases in the work “Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor.”  The story begins in the year 1469 when Tan Yunxian is 8 years old.

 The publisher's summary:  

According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient.

From a young age, Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship and a mutual purpose—despite the prohibition that a doctor should never touch blood while a midwife comes in frequent contact with it—and they vow to be forever friends, sharing in each other’s joys and struggles. No mud, no lotus, they tell themselves: from adversity beauty can bloom.

But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, pluck instruments, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights.

How might a woman like Yunxian break free of these traditions, go on to treat women and girls from every level of society, and lead a life of such importance that many of her remedies are still used five centuries later? How might the power of friendship support or complicate these efforts? 

 

The characters are what make this novel such a great story.  I loved reading about the ups and downs of Yunxian and Meiling's friendship. They were on different life paths due to their socioeconomic levels but managed to maintain a lifelong affection. There were plenty of misunderstandings between them but most were due to the interference from Yunxian's mother in law and they always made up quickly. As all young adults have done throughout history, both girls fell into the social constructs of their time. Yunxian did not believe that she was superior to Meiling but acted as though she was. Yunxian was quite selfish because she always had whatever she wanted. She never asked Meiling how she was doing or how her family was handling their problems. Yunxian thought her life was more important. Meiling, on the other hand, had to worry about surviving and helping her ostracized mother. Meiling felt that she could not complain to Yunxian about how she treated her because Yunxian was from a higher class.  It sounds funny today but in 1400s China, making a social mistake can get you killed.

Their mothers and grandmothers were also great characters. Yunxian's mother dies when she is 8 and she is sent to live with her grandparents. This is where she meets Meiling and Meiling's mother, a midwife.  Yunxian's grandmother is a woman's doctor who begins to train her to follow in her footsteps. Meiling is also being trained to become a midwife like her mother.  It was natural for this foursome to be closely tied.

The men were not very interesting but this is a women's story. It's not just about female relationships but female medicine too. I can honestly say I felt each and every pain of the women in labor that Meiling treated. In those days a woman crouched down near the floor and pulled on a rope hanging from above to birth the babies. Ouch! 

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a lovely book.  I highly recommend it.  5 out of 5 stars.