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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a book about women, plain and simple. It's a fantastic view on the strength and challenges of women (especially on a medical standpoint) from different classes, ages, and personalities and how they can all come together to support each other in patriarchal China. The story is steeped in Chinese culture and traditional medicine, and it is well-researched by the author. Lady Tan Yunxian is a strong, wise, and emotional character. She grows throughout the book and is taught by all of the women she meets. There are in-depth descriptions on the medical cases and foot binding, which might be triggering for some readers but it really shows the struggles and pain women go through during that time just to have more opportunities and to survive. The writing can feel a bit distant at times, which is surprising for a first person POV. To me, the writing felt a bit clinical and detached, but it would make sense since it is based off a medical practitioner before. I did wish that there was more of an in-depth look into her emotions and thoughts.
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I learned so much about ancient Chinese culture. Horrifying! Such a great story.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve never had much interest in ancient Chinese culture, but this book certainly kept my attention. The pacing and prose were both wonderful. The story gave reverence to the women of the narrative while also using a specific time period to demonstrate how unfair history has often been to women—the author crafted this story well!
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No