LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN

LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See

Opening in the year 1469 in China, Lady Tan's Circle of Women takes us right to the heart of what it meant to be a woman born in a highly respected, wealthy Chinese Family. Despite the privilege of this, women had one job- to marry well and produce a male heir to carry on the family name and honor.

Author Lisa See brings to life the story of Tan Yunxian, a real woman from this time. Tan goes through the process of foot binding, learns the required sayings, develops an attitude of meekness and honor, and prepares to shut herself away and give up her closest friend in order to do what is expected of her when she marries, but she cannot give up the medical training that her grandparents have been teaching her throughout her early life.

In China, female doctors are an extreme rarity and male doctors are not allowed to touch their female patients. They must remain behind a screen and use a go between person to communicate with women during examinations. The result of this is very poor women's healthcare. In a culture where women are little more than property, Tan wants to make a difference.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a beautifully written historical fiction read. It brings to light the culture, education, a bit of adventure, and a little bit of mystery. However there are a few things to be aware of.

HEADS UP- While there are no intimate details at all, this book deals a lot with the producing of an heir. Lisa See handles this very tastefully. The reality is that the households were typically made up of a wife and several concubines. If the wife was unable to produce an heir, a concubine could and that child could then be raised by the wife. Concubines were an owned item and used for the pleasure of their owners and guests. Again intimate details are not given, Lee handles the situations very factually.

There is also the question sometimes if Tan and her best friend, Meiling, might be gay. They are not. They just have a very close friendship.