#tan yunxian

[susiephone]

i'm halfway through "lady tan's circle of women" and it's great but yunxian and meiling need to SMOOCH

[247reader]

Day 2: Tan Yunxian!

Tan Yunxian was born into a family of minor scholar-officials in Ming Dynasty China. Her grandmother was the daughter of a well-known doctor, and her grandfather his student; they recognized Yunxian’s talent in childhood, and both of them taught her medicine.

Ming dynasty women were generally barred from the public sphere, and male doctors were only allowed limited contact with female patients. Women like Yunxian and her grandmother worked privately, generally among friends and acquaintances, prescribing medicine and performing acupuncture and moxibustion - the latter one of Yunxian’s specialities. Yunxian married, had four children, and continued her work. She eventually compiled a book, Sayings of a Female Doctor, which discussed cases she had treated. Though she was barred from publishing it directly, one of her sons had woodblocks carved and copies made, and her writings survive to this day.

She died in 1554, at the age of 93.

[elysiumaze]

Friendship is a contract between two hearts. With hearts united, women can laugh and cry, live and die together.

Lisa See in, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women.

[citedesdames]

Bao Gu (l鮑姑), was a Chinese Taoist physician. She is the daughter of accomplished Taoist practitioner and governor Bao Jing and the wife of Ge Hong who is the author of Baopuzi. She is also known as one of the famous four female physicians in Chinese history, along with Zhang Xiaoniang of Northern Song dynasty, Yi Xu of the Western Han dynasty, and Tan Yunxian, who was active during the Ming dynasty. She was active during the Eastern Jin dynasty.

Zhang Xiaoniang (11th century), was a Chinese physician. She is known as one of the famous four female physicians in Chinese history, along with Yi Jia of Western Han dynasty, Gu Bao of the Jin dynasty and Tan Yunxian, who was active during the Ming dynasty. She was active during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.

Yi Jia (Yi Xu, 2nd century BC), was a Chinese physician. She is known as one of the famous four female physicians in Chinese history, along with Zhang Xiaoniang of Northern Song dynasty, Gu Bao of the Jin dynasty and Tan Yunxian, who was active during the Ming dynasty. She was active during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

Tan Yunxian (Chinese: 談允賢; 1461–1554) was a Chinese physician during the Ming dynasty in China.

[desdasiwrites]

– Lisa See, Lady Tan's Circle of Women

[starswallowingsea]

continuing with kaikeyi and it is committing one of the worst sins of a historical fiction novel and i knowwwwwww its also fantasy but like. you don't have to put a modern lens on the oppression people face historically and point out every little thing and make your protagonist a perfect feminist in what is about. second century CE india. like i guess sure maybe she could have theoretically been thinking about womens rights and equity to men, especially thinking about lower class women & women who were born illegitimate, but i think her self centered nature as someone of noble birth would have made it more interesting to read especially since i'm on page 177, she's like 19 at most right now and keeps talking about how women are the most oppressed people ever and have nooooooo rights to do anything ever rather than try to find empowerment in her position or meaningfully examine the roles women play in society or how they might try to break out of those (or use them to their advantage). idk other books have done it better

[artisticrendezvous]

I know it's a bit delayed, but here's my 2024 book roundup!

I read a total of 105 books, which was double my goal of 52! I averaged roughly 2 books/week.

My Top 10 Fiction Books of 2024 (in no order):

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree A coffeeshop au-inspired fantasy book that makes for a cozy, heartwarming read with a dash of action and mystery. Great for those who like D&D/rpgs, slice of life, and a little bit of romance.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judi I. Lin (Book of Tea #1) A fantasy novel inspired by East Asian culture revolving around a competition to find the best shennong-shi-- masters of the ancient and magical art of tea making. There's magic, mystery, bloody court politics, and a dash of romance.

Feed by Mira Grant (Newsflesh #1) My favorite book/series of 2024. The Newsflesh series has amazing world building and a unique twist on a post zombie-apocalyptic world. You can tell she puts a lot of research into her writing, which really makes the story seem more realistic and believable for me. She includes some interesting moral/ethical questions and quandaries in her writing, but they're wrapped up in the writing and make sense with the story. I ended up buying The Rising: The Newsflesh Trilogy and Rise: A Newsflesh Collection for my bookshelf, and I reread the series twice in 2024.

Wold War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks This book is nothing like the movie. If you ever read one zombie book in your life, I'd recommend it be this one. It's incredibly well written and has a really good narrative through the "accounts" throughout the book. It's more like a history than a horror book, 10/10 recommend.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White A mystery thriller about a group of former child stars reuniting to discuss the mysterious and sudden ending of their show, and in the process uncover dark secrets. A really unique horror book that I really enjoyed.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See An immersive historical fiction novel based on the true story of female physician Tan Yunxian in 15th-century China. It's a strong story about womanhood, resilience, and medicine and is beautifully written.

The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu A very fascinating retelling of the story of Aladdin, set in a fantasy/sci-fi world on a distant planet. It has amazing world building and character development, and even though it's a retelling it is super unique and a story of its own. If you like fantasy and/or science fiction, you'll really enjoy this book.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #1) A science fiction story told from the perspective of a Company-supplied security android who refers to itself as "Murderbot." It's a relatively short book and has some fast pacing, but is part of a multi-book series. It makes for a nice, quick read to pass the time if you're a science fiction fan.

A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel A retelling of the Medusa myth steeped in Indian mythology. Technically this book is considered a YA fantasy part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint; HOWEVER, I must warn it actually deals with a lot more adult/mature themes that I would not recommend this for young readers. It's dark, it's realistic, and it's beautiful. It's a story of resilience and questions who gets to determine who is a monster.

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix This is my "hear me out" book of 2024. Grady Hendrix has a lot of amazing horror stories, but this one is definitely not the best. It's weird and quirky, but I really enjoyed it. It's about a haunted Ikea-adjacent store and each chapter has an accompanying furniture diagram based on the chapter. It's a strange mix of comical and horrifying, and I loved it.

My Top Nonfiction Books of 2024 (in no order):

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, and in this book the author argues that we are currently in the sixth. A really insightful look into how we as humans have changed the world, beyond the basic ideas of deforestation and global warming. Very informative.

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston

I love Richard Preston's non-fiction writing. He writes about epidemiology in a way that I can understand and makes it into a compelling narrative. The descriptions are matter of the fact with no frills, so it's not for those with a weak stomach, but if you're interested in virology/epidemiology, Richard Preston is the guy for you. I also read The Demon the Freezer and Crisis in the Red Zone: The Story of the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak in History, and of the Outbreaks to Come in 2024.

The Last Elephants compiled by Colin Bell and Don Pinnock If we're unable to protect the largest land mammals on Earth, what chance do we have to protect the smaller species are go extinct every day? This book discusses the struggles and achievements in the conservation of elephants and discusses the small and large scale efforts needed in conservation efforts. Includes some amazing photographs of elephants as accompaniment.

The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murders by Douglas Preston If you like Indian Jones, you'll probably enjoy this book. Except the stories in this book are all true! A fun mix of adventures featuring buried treasure, enigmatic murders, lost tombs, strange crimes, and other interesting tales. A fun non-fiction read.

[haveyoureadthispoll]

According to Confucius, "an educated woman is a worthless woman," but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient. From a young age, Yunxian learns about women's illnesses, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship and a mutual purpose—despite the prohibition that a doctor should never touch blood while a midwife comes in frequent contact with it—and they vow to be forever friends, sharing in each other's joys and struggles. No mud, no lotus, they tell themselves: from adversity beauty can bloom. But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, pluck instruments, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights. How might a woman like Yunxian break free of these traditions, go on to treat women and girls from every level of society, and lead a life of such importance that many of her remedies are still used five centuries later? How might the power of friendship support or complicate these efforts? Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a captivating story of women helping other women. It is also a triumphant reimagining of the life of a woman who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.

[msburgundy]

i found a compromise @thisbibliomaniac

the translated text available for $45 instead

[libraryofjoy]

Books I read in July 2023

I got busy and forgot to do this 😅

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. Fiction. This book is set in Ming dynasty China and draws from the true story of the female physician Tan Yunxian. If you like this story, there's also a (very fictionalized) Chinese drama based on her life story. This book had an interesting perspective on social expectations based on class and gender.

SPQR: a History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard. Nonfiction. I've really liked some of Mary Beard's work that I read for school, so I wasn't surprised to find that I really enjoyed this book. It had some good insights on how history is constructed.

Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, ed. Alice Wong. Nonfiction. I really recommend this book. There was such a wide range of life stories told by disabled people, but the one that really got to me was by a deaf man who had been in prison. He was blocked from rehabilitation programs, received inferior legal aid, and had his privacy violated beyond what was typical for abled inmates. I had never really realized just how much a disability could magnify the difficulty and isolation of prison, mostly because the people running the prison didn't make necessary accommodations.

Before All the World by Moriel Rothman-Zecher. Historical fiction set in Prohibition-era Philidelphia. This book tells the story of the relationships between two Jewish refugees from a pogrom, and a Black man who speaks Yiddish and is interested in Jewish culture. There's a lot of detail about language in this book. This story got very dark (please check content warnings before reading) but the characters are charming and thoughtful, and ultimately pretty optimistic.

Fiction read this month:2

Nonfiction read this month:2

Total fiction read this year:18

Total nonfiction read this year:27

Another busy summer month where I didn't have much time to read! I'm afraid the first half of August is already looking that way (I'm at 1 book read so far) but it'll pick up once I go back to Georgia and have more commute time!

[damn-you-dragon]

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa SeeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars How is a life located in time? I just finished reading it and would give it a 4.5/5. The story follows Yunxian Tan, who, after her mother’s passing, relocates to her grandparents’ home. It’s here that she begins to absorb the ancient knowledge of medicine and the art of treating women, particularly under the guidance of her…

[alemicheli76]

"Lady Tan e il circolo dei fiori del loto" di Lisa See, Longanesi. A cura di Ilaria Grossi

“Questa storia inizia nel 1469, nel quinto anno del regno dell’imperatore Chenghua, quando Tan Yunxian aveva solo 8 anni”Lisa See ci regala una storia intensa, potente, una storia di donne che aiutano altre donne e in particolar modo, la storia della piccola Tan Yunxian che a soli 9 anni perde prematuramente la mamma, promettendo a se stessa che un giorno sarebbe stata in grado di guarire le…

[elysiumaze]

A woman who helps others helps herself.

Lisa See in, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women.

[firesalamander]

book #(mystery) (pretty sure it's 25, 26, and 27?)

last books of the year! Emily Carroll's A Guest in the House and Through the Woods were gifts from my partner =) i've loved her online work for years and reading her stuff in print was such a great experience. Carroll was definitely a huge influence on my love of folk horror, and the fact that TtW includes His Face All Red was such a treat! great gifts, great reads

last was a book my sister almost pushed into my hands last time I saw her, Lisa See's Lady Tan's Circle of Women. the main character is a Chinese noblewoman in the 1400s who's also an accomplished doctor for women, and the different trials and challenges and successes she faces over the years. based partially on a real doctor, Yunxian Tan, it was a really gripping read that pulled me in fast. another strong recommend!

[rg060295]

Best books I read this Summer

Happy first day of Autumn my fellow northern hemisphere people. Today I am here with a list of my favourite books I read in the Summer. For Summer I am talking about books I read in the 'summer months': June, July & August rather than books I read between the specific summer period.

I read 33 books over this period, 19 manga volumes, 3 short story collections and 2 non-fictions. I also had two rereads which was my yearly reread of the Orange Manga!

Okay onto my favourites:

Non-fiction: How to Read Now by Elaine Castillo - A collection of linked essays that explore the politics and ethics of reading. What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo - A memoir by journalist Stephanie Foo, who is diagnosed with complex PTSD, the memoir follows her as she comes to terms with this diagnosis, while investigating this from both a scientific view point and her who family history while making her way towards healing.

Manga: Don't Call It Mystery by Yumi Tamura - Following Totonou a young man accused of murder, he puts his skills to work delving into the lives of the cops investigating him and uses his insights to find the real murderer. After clearing his name, all Totonou wants to do is return to his laidback, mundane life, but he can’t help but be drawn into one mystery after another. She Loves to Cook She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki - A sweet cooking manga following Nomoto who loves to cook, but always cooks too much, this is a problem until she meets her neighbour Kasuga who loves to eat!

Fiction: Chlorine by Jade Song - A dark coming of age story following Ren Yu, a competitive swimmer who believes they are a mermaid. A tale of obsession, Sapphic longing and defiant becoming. Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See - A historical fiction set in the Ming dynasty a fictional story of real life physician Tan Yunxian. We start at her childhood and follow her throughout her life as she gets married and has children, while learning medicine an becoming a physician. The Story is not only a display of powerful female relationships but also a greatly researched insight into the lives of women during the Ming dynasty. Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge - Set in the fictional city Yong'an, an amateur cryptozoologist is commissioned to uncover the stories of its fabled beasts. An episodic type of book, following our unnamed protagonist, as she investigates a new beast every chapter spiralling more and more into obsession. Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata - A collection of 12 short stories, about society and often centres on the loners and outcasts of society. They question societal norms by twisting them in a way to better explore and question them. The book that got me back into bookish social media - have a full post here.

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Female doctors and traditional medicine during 15th Century China.