Lisa See
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See vividly captures upper class life in 15th century imperial China. The novel is based on the life of a historical figure, Tan Yunxian, a female physician who lived during the Ming Dynasty and whose book on Chinese medicine has survived the centuries.
Born into an elite family in 1461, Tan Yunxian is raised by her grandparents after the death of her mother. Both grandparents are doctors. Since male doctors were forbidden to see, touch, or speak directly to female patients, the need for female physicians emerged. Tan’s grandmother specialized in treating women’s illnesses and teaches Tan the foundations of Chinese medicine. Tan continues to practice what she has been taught even after her marriage into a prosperous family. She records female ailments and treatments in a notebook, per her grandmother’s instructions. She publishes these in a book, which later forms the foundational text in the treatment of women’s ailments. She also learns about midwifery through her life-long friendship with Meiling, a young midwife. The novel charts Tan’s life through to her early fifties when she becomes the female head of her husband’s household, responsible for all aspects of managing the house and the people within it.
In the process of depicting the challenges, successes, and failures of Tan’s life, Lucy See immerses the reader in the life of the upper classes in 15thC China. Her extensive research of the period is apparent. She demonstrates how the hierarchical social structures and gendered attitudes codify behavior and dictate dress and mannerisms. The rigid codes of conduct and rituals imposed on upper class girls and women are described in vivid detail. Tan is required to greet her grandparents a certain way, serve tea to her mother-in-law every morning, and bow her head in obeisance whenever she is spoken to by her husband or by those above her in the social and familial hierarchy. Women, regardless of class, are treated as the property of men and are expected to be seen but not heard. Their sole function is to birth sons to continue the legacy of their husbands’ families.
Woven throughout the novel are formulas for traditional Chinese medicines as well as maxims about life. In intricate detail, See describes jeweled, textured, and decorative clothing; elaborate hairstyles and hair pins; precise application of makeup; and socially constructed mannerisms and norms for females. Her setting is authentic; her portrayal of social mores convincing. She also describes in graphic detail the very painful process of Chinese foot binding, the purpose of which is to restrict female mobility, differentiate upper class women and concubines from lower class women with “big feet,” and increase their sexual attractiveness to future husbands. In spite of all the rigid restrictions imposed on women, Tan Yunxian manages to create a safe, gendered space for herself and for other women.
In addition to depicting life in 15th century China, the novel conveys the important role a circle of women plays in the sharing of experiences, in validating women’s voices, and in supporting one another to address uniquely female challenges and ailments. This was true in Tan Yunxian’s 15th Century China. It is no less true today.
An accomplished historical novel that illuminates a fascinating period in Chinese history.