Tan Yunxian, the heroine of Lisa See's 11th novel, is as captivating and credible as any character in contemporary fiction, even though Lady Tan's Circle of Women is set in 15th-century China. Strict norms circumscribe her existence, but friendship and intellect empower her to lead an extraordinary and satisfying life. See (The Island of Sea Women; The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane; China Dolls) bases her novel on the book of medical cases by the real-life Lady Tan Yunxian, published in 1511. The result is a moving, first-person narrative shining with meticulous research about Ming dynasty culture and daily life.
In 1469, Yunxian's mother teaches her eight-year-old daughter how to care for her agonizing bound feet, as well as her place in the world: "We are a man's possessions. We women exist to give him heirs and feed, clothe and amuse him." Growing up and approaching her "hair-pinning days," all leading to an arranged marriage, Yunxian acknowledges her restrictions while eagerly learning from her grandparents, who are respected doctors. Grandmother shares matters of the "child palace" and "issues below the girdle," which male doctors must not treat. Once she is married, Yunxian surreptitiously offers medical advice to the concubines and relatives in her new husband's grand home, and eventually wins their approval. Her controlling mother-in-law even welcomes Yunxian's lifelong friend, the midwife Meiling, into the compound. Vibrant details of medical practices and rigid social traditions--and even a murder mystery--enhance this story of an abiding friendship and an exceptional woman in a male-dominated society. --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.