Lady Tan's Circle of Women
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I learned a lot from this book and I’m impressed by the author’s dedication to the authenticity of the historical period. She sponged up 15th-century China and then served it to us on a platter. Unfortunately, this commitment to historical accuracy led to a pretty tired narrative.
I don’t want to call the story a bit of a snoozefest when it’s about a woman trying to make the most of the limitations of her sex in a period that viewed her exclusively as a baby-making vessel and forced her to break all of the toes in her feet if she wanted to be even remotely respected by a man, but here we are. Yunxian, the main character, is full of medicinal knowledge passed down from her grandmother; yet, she has to sit back and let the men do stupid, old-school stuff (like diagnose a woman behind a screen because they can’t contaminate themselves by touching them). The book follows Yunxian through each phase of her life. While she has very little agency, she does seek strength in an unlikely friendship with a midwife of lower social stature, and she finds herself in positions where she can help women on the low.
There’s a lot to work with here, but the book became a repetitive loop: faces sex-based hardship —> semi-leans on midwife friend but not really because communication is stifled by traditional barriers —> faces sex-based hardship, etc. Again, I learned a lot, like how superstitions shaped the culture, how the concept of yin and yang influenced their medicine, and how class intersected with sex, but I think I could have learned all of that and still been a bit more entertained. Is that obnoxious of me? Mostly, I wanted a little more oomph from the main character. I kept expecting Yunxian to do something bold, and while she had her small moments of bravery, she fell flat for me. I wanted to feel more connected to her through her relationship with the midwife, but their emotional attachment didn’t ring true for me. I was being told they cared for each other, but not shown. I believe this was because of the dedication to the social restraints of the time, but it led to superficial interactions and stilted language.
Admittedly, my opinion is also colored by the fact that I’m pregnant. There’s a heavy emphasis on the woes of 15th-century childbirth and frankly, it’s not my vibe. They repeat the aphorism: in women’s central affair of childbirth, ten women die for every one that survives. Cool! On that note, it receives 3 out of 5 flames.
