Home in the World

Last Updated on April 27, 2025 by Home in the World

Recommended read #4 for your next plane or train journey – or even if you’re simply looking to curl up with a good book at home.

How often have you picked up a book to read purely, or at least largely, because it looked pretty? I will admit that sometimes I do literally judge books by their covers, at least as a first step. I was trawling through Goodreads trying to find something new to read and was struck by one of the suggestions that featured the penetrating gaze of a young, heavily bejewelled and bebaubled Asian woman. It kind of gave me Memoirs of a Geisha vibes – a book I incidentally loved.

My focus then quickly shifted to the star rating, which is something else I use as useful guide. I generally don’t read books with ratings less than 3, ideally preferring those with ratings above 4 – even though I know ratings are very subjective and there have been occasions where I have loved poorly rated books and hated highly rated ones. This one had a rating of 4.38/5. Another box ticked. It was time to procure myself a copy of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women.

** Before we continue, please note that there are never any spoilers in my reviews; they are purely designed to give an overview of the book and my impressions of it without revealing too much of the plot **

What is Lady Tan’s Circle of Women about?

I mentioned the Memoirs of a Geisha aesthetic earlier on, but this book is actually set in 15th-century China. Written in the first person, it spans the life of Tan Yunxian, who was born into an elite family and was therefore expected to uphold the many rigid traditions governing her class at the time, namely perfecting embroidery skills, tottering around on bound feet, producing an heir and rarely stepping outside the confines of her home. But she always dreamt of more, having been inspired early on by her grandmother, an expert in medicine, who made a point of imparting her extensive knowledge to her granddaughter.

As we pass through Tan Yunxian’s four phases of life, from the early ‘milk days’, to the ‘hair-pinning days’ of adolescence and marriage, to ‘rice-and-salt days’ of motherhood and middle age, to the ‘sitting quietly’ of old age, we get to know the many other female characters who make up her ‘circle of women’. These include her best friend, who was also born in the year of the Metal Snake but with a very different family background; her maid; her mother-in-law; an older woman by the name of Spinster Aunt; and even her father’s concubine.

All of these women play their own part, with each unique relationship having its distinct trials and tribulations in the male-dominated world of medicine and, more broadly, the Ming dynasty as a whole. Underlying almost all of them, however, even if not always apparent at first glance, is the notion of women helping and supporting women – be it with afflictions of the body, mind or soul.

My impressions of the book

I personally loved all the references to Chinese/natural medicine, due in part to the fact that I have a lot of faith and interest in this form of ancient treatment, which views ailments holistically and revolves around balance, around yin and yang, around qi. ‘In medicine we must look at the entire cosmos – both within and without the body. Are they in harmony?’ says Tan Yunxian’s father. Many of the herbs mentioned are some I have indeed successfully taken myself to address health problems in the past.

It was fascinating to read about the various concoctions and treatments prescribed for all manner of conditions, including regulating the ‘monthly moon water’ , preparing the ‘child palace’ for birth, and rectifying ‘taxation from toil’ by addressing ‘spleen qi deficiency’ and ‘injured kidney yin’. Yunxian’s ancestral medical expertise is particularly put to the test when the smallpox epidemic hits the Garden of Fragrant Delights where she lives.

You can tell Lisa See has put a lot of research into this book, not only in relation to the medical side of things, but also the fashion, jewellery and architecture of the time. We are treated to vivid descriptions of richly coloured silks, elaborate hair decorations, delicately embroidered footwear and intricately carved decor, as well as the Forbidden City in Beijing, where, having personally visited, I found myself recalling and reimagining the vast pavilions and giant thresholds as they would have looked during the Ming dynasty. There is even a brief mention of the Great Wall that is still being built at the time.

Lisa See, a Chinese American herself, is a stunning writer. Her use of language is masterful, notably in the way she infuses her descriptions with Oriental and nature-related elements that really add to the story’s the sense of time, place and culture. I loved, for example, how she likened an icicle hanging off roof eaves to ivory chopsticks, or the way she described ladies sitting like open petals around the Empress, or the way unhelpful advice was dismissed as less useful than a grain of rice in a cauldron.

It is also worth noting that some of this descriptive language pertains to less pleasant topics, such as the ancient Chinese custom of foot binding, or the examination of an exhumed corpse during legal proceedings, so be aware of these if they are triggers for you.

Why read Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See?

This was my first time reading a Lisa See book, but I am already seeking out her others. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women felt like a journey through not only time, but also through culture, history and, on a more micro scale, the life of a character as she evolves from a young girl to a mature woman breaking professional and societal moulds and practising medicine in a heavily patriarchal society.

And the most amazing part? Lady Tan Yunxian was actually a real person, who, despite her high standing, worked as a doctor and kept all her medical notes and remedies. These were later published as Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor, for which an English translation also exists. At the end of See’s book, there is a post-script to the reprint of Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor, written by Lady Tan’s great-nephew in 1585.

All in all, a beautiful and educational read that transports you to another world on multiple levels.

** This post, like everything else on this website, has been written entirely by me. No ChatGPT or any other AI tool has been used. It takes longer to create, but I value 100% human-generated content and I hope you do too! **

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And if you’re a historical-fiction fan, you might also want to check out my no-spoiler review of The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer or my list of recommended reads from recent years.

Are you a fan of both travel and reading? Then check out my post on The Wordy Traveler’s beautiful subscription boxes. There’s even a special discount offer inside!

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