You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mirandal95 's review for:
Lady Tan's Circle of Women
by Lisa See
What an interesting book! I really really enjoyed this book! I will admit, I was a little apprehensive about it. I'm not that into chinese culture, but WOW, was I blown away! The history and characters were amazing! And to find out that Lady Tan was a real person also just blows my mind! Not only is it a great book to show how brave and strong women are and can be, but it shows some very fascinating moments in Chinese culture and history!
Summary: A young girl living in 1500 China is sent to live with her grandparents when her mother dies from an infection from her foot binding process. Her grandparents teach her to practice and study medicine. During this time in history male doctors can't and don't touch women and are really unable to help women who are suffering. Yunxian makes friends with the daughter of a midwife and they remain friends and work together to help women when they become sick or have children. Yunxian becomes old enough to marry and is sent to live with her husband and his family. Her mother-in-law does not take a liking to her and does not allow her to practice medicine. She slowly starts to practice medicine secretly, helping the women and children around her. She eventually has 3 daughters and has to start the foot binding processon them as well. During her time there, she gets tangled up in a murder. She finds the body of one of the servants. A trial is held and it concluded it was an accident and she had fallen and drown. Yunxian and her friend have become well known at this point for helping women and saving their lives. They are asked to help the empress of China to deliver her baby. While there Yunxian's friend has a still born and is punished for having the child near the empress. Yunxian also has her first boy child while away helping the empress. When Yunxain returns home she finds her family and village has small poxs. She is allowed to care for the sick and help her family, finally being accepted from her mother-in-law. She also returns to her childhood home to be with her grandmother when she passes. She returns to her husbands home and is the new high lady. She still helps the women in her family and her village as a doctor. She and her friend wrote everything down so it could be passed on to future women and families. I'm sure I have missed some parts but this was a long and sometimes complicated book.
Favorite Part: I enjoyed the parts where her grandmother and grandfather were kind and helpful to here. They really loved her and cared about her.
Least Favorite Part: I hated the part with the empress. How cruel she was to Yunxian's friend who helped her even though she was going through such intense pain and heartbreak! Losing her own child and then being punished for it.
Favorite Character: I loved Yunxian, she was a fighter and wanted to help people! She was a strong woman even back when being smart and strong were frowned upon!
Least Favorite Character: I didn't really care for her husband, but we didn't see that much of him.
Overall Thoughts: I liked this book! A lot happens, but you really travel with this woman through her whole life! It was really incredible that she was able to help women, the doctors back then weren't even allowed in the same room as women when they were ill! It was also super interesting to see how they used herbs and different medicine back then. I had a good time with this book and I am really glad I read it!
Score: 5/5
Summary: A young girl living in 1500 China is sent to live with her grandparents when her mother dies from an infection from her foot binding process. Her grandparents teach her to practice and study medicine. During this time in history male doctors can't and don't touch women and are really unable to help women who are suffering. Yunxian makes friends with the daughter of a midwife and they remain friends and work together to help women when they become sick or have children. Yunxian becomes old enough to marry and is sent to live with her husband and his family. Her mother-in-law does not take a liking to her and does not allow her to practice medicine. She slowly starts to practice medicine secretly, helping the women and children around her. She eventually has 3 daughters and has to start the foot binding processon them as well. During her time there, she gets tangled up in a murder. She finds the body of one of the servants. A trial is held and it concluded it was an accident and she had fallen and drown. Yunxian and her friend have become well known at this point for helping women and saving their lives. They are asked to help the empress of China to deliver her baby. While there Yunxian's friend has a still born and is punished for having the child near the empress. Yunxian also has her first boy child while away helping the empress. When Yunxain returns home she finds her family and village has small poxs. She is allowed to care for the sick and help her family, finally being accepted from her mother-in-law. She also returns to her childhood home to be with her grandmother when she passes. She returns to her husbands home and is the new high lady. She still helps the women in her family and her village as a doctor. She and her friend wrote everything down so it could be passed on to future women and families. I'm sure I have missed some parts but this was a long and sometimes complicated book.
Favorite Part: I enjoyed the parts where her grandmother and grandfather were kind and helpful to here. They really loved her and cared about her.
Least Favorite Part: I hated the part with the empress. How cruel she was to Yunxian's friend who helped her even though she was going through such intense pain and heartbreak! Losing her own child and then being punished for it.
Favorite Character: I loved Yunxian, she was a fighter and wanted to help people! She was a strong woman even back when being smart and strong were frowned upon!
Least Favorite Character: I didn't really care for her husband, but we didn't see that much of him.
Overall Thoughts: I liked this book! A lot happens, but you really travel with this woman through her whole life! It was really incredible that she was able to help women, the doctors back then weren't even allowed in the same room as women when they were ill! It was also super interesting to see how they used herbs and different medicine back then. I had a good time with this book and I am really glad I read it!
Score: 5/5