From the Bookshelf of Retro Chapter Chicks …

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

Lisa See

Start date: November 1, 2023

Finish date: November 30, 2023

Discussion: Chapter Chick Reading

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Chapter Chick Reading

September-October 2025: The River Knows Your Name
By Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴… , Founding Retro Chick · 1 post · 8 views

last updated Aug 23, 2025 07:26PM

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What Members Thought

Jun 30, 2023 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, 3-5-stars, beautiful-cover, library-book

3.5 Stars

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

47 likes · Like · see review

Sep 02, 2024 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: china, historical-fiction, medicine, audio, library, social-commentary, concierge, strong-women

Book on CD performed by Justin Chien and Jennifer Lim.

See based this work of historical fiction on a real woman physician in 15th century China, Tan Yunxian. The novel tells the story of Yunxian from her childhood in 1469 through her later life in about 1510.

What a fascinating woman, and a marvelous story! I learned much about the lives of the wealthier, highly educated class in this era of Chinese history, in particular the secluded lives of the women in this class. See gave us glimpses of th ...more

25 likes · Like · see review

Nov 22, 2023 Maureen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is another amazing historical fiction book by Lisa See. We met Tan Xunxian a real female physician in the Ming dynasty. This is unheard of in the 15th Century China where women have little value only to be obedient to their husbands and to produce a male heir. According to Confucius “An educated woman is a worthless woman.”
Xunxian’s mother died very young. Her Grandmother taught her all she knew about medicines and herbs.
She was married at age 15 in an arranged marriage.
Her mother in law d ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

Nov 23, 2023 Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu rated it really liked it

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

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a story about Tan Yunxian, a young woman from an elite family with a history of practicing medicine. When Tan's mother unexpectedly dies, her father sends her to live with her grandparents. Tan learns medicine from her grandmother and is a natural at detecting ailments and how to cure them. While living with her grandparents, Tan develops a strong connec ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 23, 2025 Sarah Brown rated it it was amazing

I know I say this about so many books, but this was SO GOOD! I actually haven't been able to physically read a book in I would say in like a year, maybe longer, idk- I have only been doing audio, but I wasn't going to get the audio in time to finish for my IRL book club and checked it out from the library and am so glad I did. I was fully absorbed in the story, no random zone outs, I soaked up every single word. This is a book I wish I owned, so I could go and highlight the entire book because e ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

May 09, 2025 MaureenAnn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, adult-fiction, 2025-52-book-challenge, rcc-spring-2025-road-trip

This novel is based on the life and work of Yanxian Tan, one of China's first female physicians who lived during the Ming dynasty.

Lisa See is a gifted storyteller. This novel had me enthralled from start to finish. The book has so many different aspects including a murder mystery and family members jostling for power or influence within the hierarchical structure and traditions of an elite family.

Before reading this novel, I knew nothing about this historical period. The author has enlightened m ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 25, 2023 Phair rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, asia-fiction

3.5*
This read very well with lots of color and interesting detail re all aspects of life both outside and inside the sheltered life of high status women. Toward the end I wanted even more detail as the latter stages of her life were barely covered before we jumped to her “rediscovery” through a grand-nephew’s reprinting of her case histories. A lot was very reminiscent of the author’s Snow Flower book. Reluctantly gave this a 3.5* rather than 4 because of my dissatisfaction with the abrupt endin ...more

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Apr 26, 2024 Lory Sakay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My favorite Lisa See thus far. The audiobook was so well done and I just so love how See draws us in with the language. Yes, there is the too often used in Asian novels, "no mud, no lotus" but other terms like "chamber affairs" and "monthly moonwater" solidify the time period. Beautiful Story, beautiful writing. Highly recommend. ...more

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Jul 24, 2025 Scarlett rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

As someone who wants to become a midwife someday, it was very interesting to see how they were treated in 1400's China. The vocabulary was entertaining as well. ...more

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