Lady Tan's Circle of Women: A Novel | 
pickI devoured this book in two sittings only because it was midnight on a work night when I hit 200 pages. Many emotions circled through as I read this story as it completely pulled me under. The power women took back despite the little power they had was a testament to their strength.
pickSort of a middle of the road pick. I was intrigued by the premise and appreciated the research but I still wanted something more from this. I did find it a quick read and enjoyed the time spent with it. There was also a bit more body horror than I was expecting.
pickSet in 15th century China, this is the story of Tan Yunxian, a remarkable woman who was schooled by her grandparents from a young age as a doctor. She loses her mother when she is a girl, marries into a successful family at 15, and grows in medical knowledge and skill throughout her life. We follow the seasons of her life, through difficulty and success, as she builds relationships with the women around her. Very interesting historical fiction.
I absolutely love it! @BookmarkTavern
Thank you so much!!!
#StuffedStockingSwap #SSS @avanders
Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
What are you reading?
#boleybooks #ladytanscircleofwomen #LisaSee #bookbeast #bookjoy #bookbuds #bookchat #libby
pickI like her books and how she writes about women in Chinese history.
This didn't disappoint. It was interesting and detailed, I liked that she had facts alongside more frivolity such as decor and dresses. Obviously not very nice at times but well done.
pickI like her books and how she writes about women in Chinese history.
This didn't disappoint. It was interesting and detailed, I liked that she had facts alongside more frivolity such as decor and dresses. Obviously not very nice at times but well done.
pickI finished this in the nick of time for tomorrow‘s book club! I found it very interesting. I‘m not sure whether I‘ll read more by Lisa See but it was cool to learn about a time and place that are unfamiliar to me (China in the 1400-1500s).
pickAmazing account of two girls in 1500s China from different classes who grow up as best friends. One becomes a doctor, the other a midwife. Incredibly detailed accounts of life as a woman in this era. Wonderfully researched and artfully written. The doctor published a book of cases on which the author based the fictional, but historically inspired stories. High recommend.
Up next on audio! 🎧
This will give me a bingo!
#bookspinbingo
pickWe read this for our Bookclub , Set in 15th century China. I learned a lot about this time, fascinating and often upsetting , traumatic. I gave this an 8 out of 10. It scored well in the Bookclub… and the discussion was excellent.
“Cringy!”
I love author events! #iloveauthorevents
Go see Lisa See if she is in your town - but only if you love to support women stories, fierce friendship, and fascinating history. I thoroughly enjoyed her talk, her personality, everything she shared. AND!! Her score for this book here on Litsy is 💯 which means either or both: book is good and the Litsy community is awesome 👏
Just starting for Bookclub 💚💚💚
pickBook club read. Based on a real woman from 1500s China. A doctor, wife, and mother. Lady Tan kept a diary of her patients and treatments which See used to create this fictional story. This novel is female-centric—Tan‘s grandmother was a physician and passed the knowledge on to her. Shocking how male doctors were to preserve their female patients‘ modesty at all costs—“examining” them behind a screen and communicating only with her male chaperone.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about 1500‘s China. The story is fiction but the main character, Yunxian, authored a book in the 1500‘s documenting her treatment of patients.
pickWhat a wonderful book! This is my second book by Lisa See and her storytelling is so equally raw and beautiful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my choice for #TwinPeaksReadingChallenge prompt 23 @Yuki_Onna 😊
pickVery occasionally you start reading a book & you know immediately that it's going to be a bit special. Straight away, the reader is immersed in fifteenth century China, I don't claim to know how accurate the storytelling is, but the detail to the worldbuilding is wonderful & the characters come alive in the prose. The only downside was having to see how women & girls were viewed, including the elite ones. (continued)
pick4/5
Very good historical fiction, well-written and well-researched.
I really enjoyed traveling through time, and learning more about Chinese history and eastern medicine. It's a very good story about friendship and about women supporting other women.
I feel like Lisa See really did her research to write a realistic historical fiction, which I appreciate.
pickThis was a great read. It really delves into the complicated relationships between women, both in family and in friends. It also address all the ways being a women requires special knowledge care. Could not picture a man being able to get through reading this book. Lots of talk about blood.
pickEsther is ecstatic to help me review this fast read for #BookClub #DogsofLitsy
Some sentences are more than clunky but it was a good read, characters to cheer for, lots of interesting history, and I am glad to have read it. Plus, I wanted to spend all my time reading — a feeling (?) which I have been missing these last few weeks. (My first book by this author.)
#WiaN2024 Category: Shape #HistoricalFic
pickI managed to finish one more book before the end of the year. Lisa See is an excellent writer and I always learn so much from her books. Inspired by a real woman, this story centers around Yunxian and her life in 15th century China as she grows up to become a talented physician who treats women. I loved her depictions of the relationships between many types of women—mothers, daughters, and friends. It was good to close out the year with a pick!
Bought a hard copy of this one for my mom for Jolabokaflod, then the ebook was on sale on Christmas Day, so now I‘m reading it too. My RA is flaring big time and it‘s hitting my fingers and toes hard, so I‘m def feeling the whole agony of foot binding thing right along with these girls. What insanity foot binding was! And to do it to your daughters? Gah!😟
pickI guess I saved the best for last? (Or almost last anyhow). I really enjoyed this book. It astounds me to learn of the way females were treated during the Ming Dynasty. Foot binding? No way!! This is a book that I just didn‘t want to end. The author has a way of making you feel as though you‘re right there in the scenes she‘s describing. This is the second book I‘ve read by Lisa See that I‘ve absolutely loved.
pickI didn‘t think I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did. While the imagery of what the women had to do to make themselves appealing was uncomfortable, I felt like I came out of this book with so much more knowledge. I enjoyed reading about the relationships between women during that time.
pickGood. Interesting to read about a place and time that I don't know much about.
pickThis is a well written, completely engaging historical fiction novel set in 1500s China. Chinese culture and women‘s friendships, roles, and responsibilities create an engrossing storyline. Concubines, foot binding, Chinese medicine, family drama, and midwives makes this one receive a high recommendation from me!
My Sept #BOTM picks! None of the primary picks grabbed me so I went with a member favorite.
pickThis is the 1st book by this author I‘ve read/listened to and it definitely won‘t be the last! It presents a part of history I didn‘t know anything about and it was both fascinating and unbelievable to think what these women had to put up with/go through. I will say I think my interest might have floundered some if I was reading the print version of this, but the audiobook was wonderful! 🌟🌟🌟🌟
pick4.5⭐️/5⭐️ The book was really good... and the cover art is stunning!
pickEvery book that I read from this author gives me a new sense of what is was to be raised in China as a female. This book is unbelievable. From the foot binding to the Chinese medicine to the life behind the walls of the Forbidden City as a concubine this book shows how the woman of Chinese heritage depended on each other. Loved this book. Some parts, 😳😳😳.
pickAn entertaining look at being a female doctor in the 1400s in China. I learned a ton and heard a good story as well.
pickThank you, @Cinfhen. I had the book on my radar, but your review made me actually get it and listen to it.
Story of a female doctor in 15th century China. Yunxian studies medicine for women from an early age. She's eager to learn and use her skills, but an educated woman doesn't lead an easy life in an elite family.
Fascinating historical fiction. Great #audiobook.
Blaming it on @Cinfhen
#audiobook
pickLoved this his book! Audio narration was excellent 🙌🏻Based on a remarkable woman who served as a lady doctor during the Ming Dynasty. So much history but presented in such an accessible manner. Definitely my favorite novel from See 🩷
LOVING this audiobook but I think I might want to buy a physical copy. There‘s so much fascinating Chinese herbal medicine remedies mentioned. I‘m learning tons of fascinating things about Chinese culture too.
📚𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓮 𝓦𝓻𝓪𝓹-𝓤𝓹📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐚 Patti Callahan Henry
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝗪𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 Meg Shaffer
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 Katie Bishop
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 Matthew Quirk
𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐞 Heather Chavez
𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫 Catherine McKenzie
𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝗪𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 Lisa See
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 Jo Nesbo
pickI love how this author has the unique ability through her writing to transport you back in time. This is another automatic buy author for me and I found this female driven read absorbing! Culture, class, and traditions combine into a page-turner of a read.
