Lady Tan's Circle Of Women

Lisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of her Chinese American family's settlement in Los Angeles. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the History Maker's Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women.

'A poignant new story exploring the life of a Chinese woman whose fate is bound by her country's patriarchal power structures... The quietly affecting reimagining follows Yunxian from her youth learning about the traditional pillars of Chinese medicine to the beginning of her lifelong friendship with a young midwife-in-training to the years after she is sent into an arranged marriage.' Time

'See envelops her story in the accepted practices of the time: arranged marriages, the buying and selling of concubines, the pressure to provide male heirs, and the crippling and sometimes deadly practice of female foot binding. Despite the inordinate limits placed on women, See allows their strengths to dominate their stories, even though not all women were graced with lives of fulfillment.' Washington Post

'Spellbinding... vividly depicts 15th-century China with artfully woven details, rich characters and descriptive language. See captures a world of propriety and cruelty as she ruminates on the disparity between the lives of men and women, and how women - no matter their class - are treated as possessions of the men around them. But through her strong-willed characters, See also emphasizes how women can act as the anchors of society... an emotional and illuminating epic.' BookPage

'Based on true events, this richly imagined historical novel captures the extraordinary lives of two women in the Ming Dynasty' Woman's Own

'Engaging... Based on the writings of an historical Ming dynasty female physician, See's accomplished novel immerses readers in a fascinating life lived within a fascinating culture.' Booklist

'The lives of women in 15th-century China are illuminated in this engrossing novel... Women's friendships in a world where they have little freedom shape a quietly moving book.' Kirkus Reviews

'An appealing tale of female love and loyalty... See adds intrigue with a side plot involving a mysterious