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A review by jennabracas
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See
4.0
This book had me pausing to reflect and research more than any other fictional book I’ve read recently, and for that I appreciate it so much. It’s actually truly shocking sometimes to face what humans—particularly women— have been forced to endure all through history. Though this is a fictional telling of Yunxian’s life, it teaches important lessons about nature and consequence and fear.
In terms of the actual narration, I loved the period-appropriate descriptions and understandings of medicine/health and I loved the well-rounded nature of the characters. Also, I just generally loved the bluntness of the medical parts—she felt like a doctor. The four parts of the book lining up with the four phases of a woman’s life worked wonderfully for the story. I did expect Yunxian to interact with more peers than she did, but the way it plays out fits the overall setting and themes more.
A great modern story from a POV of the past :)
In terms of the actual narration, I loved the period-appropriate descriptions and understandings of medicine/health and I loved the well-rounded nature of the characters. Also, I just generally loved the bluntness of the medical parts—she felt like a doctor. The four parts of the book lining up with the four phases of a woman’s life worked wonderfully for the story. I did expect Yunxian to interact with more peers than she did, but the way it plays out fits the overall setting and themes more.
A great modern story from a POV of the past :)