Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

 Absorbing historical fiction set in China in the 15th century.

Although this is fiction, the novel was based on the true story of Tan Yunxian, raised in an elite family and trained in the ancient ways on how to be a wife and mother. Her upbringing, however, was framed by her grandmother, one of only a few female Chinese doctors, and she teaches Yunxian medicine specific to female patients. Most of the illnesses of women relate to childbearing and Yunxian learns about those along with a girl of her own age in training to be a midwife. Meiling and Yunxian become forever friends who share in each other's joy and anguish throughout their lives. 

Yunxian is married out in an arranged marriage and is subject to a mother-in-law who forbids the friendship and also prevents her from treating the women and girls in the large household compound known as the Garden of Fragrant Delights. Confined to the grounds, Yunxian finds ways to reach her destiny despite many travails.

This novel was epic in scope and evoked all the feelings. I often find books that show how women were treated and seen in the past to be difficult to stomach. As a heath care professional, I also have to shudder at some of the thoughts and practices about disease and treatments that were common in that era, 5 centuries ago, and in a country that I know little to nothing about as far as beliefs and culture. The descriptions about the people, the class differences, the foot binding, the concubines, the feelings about children, and so many other details were absolutely fascinating. I should have been doing so many other necessary chores but could not put this down. I will be thinking of this book for a very long time. This ultimately was a book about women helping women during the Ming dynasty era, but also is true of the way women still support and care for each other because it is true that only women can understand some things about women's health. 

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jennifer Chen and Justin Chien while also following along in the e-book. The narrators did a marvelous job of voicing the characters. Their inflection, intonation, and expressiveness added to my enjoyment of the story. It is an excellent production. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - historical fiction, Ming Dynasty, China, women physicians. Based on real person.