Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

10 reviews

mdwsn27's review against another edition

informative mysterious slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

carminhomarrana's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

supernova7's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This is a novel based on the writings of an historical figure in Chinese history. In this story, we follow Lady Tan Yunxian, who is born into a life of privilege in 1400s China. Despite the wealth and comforts of her life, she is bound socially by Confucian ideals of a proper daughter, wife, and mother. She is mentored by her relatively progressive grandmother, who is a known and respected doctor, in the healing and medical arts. She also becomes lifelong friends with Meiling, a midwife in training under her mother. Throughout her life, Yunxian grapples with the dedication to her education and practice and the duties she has to her family as a noblewoman in Chinese society. We witness this through her eyes, where things are presented as they are, leaving the reader to form their own opinions of the society and the expectations imbued onto individuals. Lady Tan is brave but constrained, kind but wily, and over her lifetime, learns to appreciate the women who love her instead of begging for recognition from men.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abandonment

shenelle_h's review against another edition

hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Blood, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

berrypatch's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was wonderful! An exquisite, heavily researched, emotional work of historical fiction. This book focuses on the earliest written record of a female doctor in China, and tells a captivating, touching, and empowering tale of her journey through life and the wonderful supportive women who loved and inspired her. It's an emotional fight through adversity and learning that there's always hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexism, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Abandonment

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

My book group chose this for April 2024.

It broke my heart several times and was beautiful the whole way through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism and Abandonment

micaelamariem's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women was a beautiful historical fiction novel inspired by a real woman during 15th century China who learned medicine and treated other women despite society’s ill regard of women doing so. I loved watching Yunxian learn all the rules of society and then disregard them when she could, struggling with what she believed was right and what was expected of her. This novel isn’t just about that, though. At its core, it is a novel about friendship, and how, no matter how many things try to pull two friends apart, they wouldn’t let their friendship crack. The novel made me cry and angry at parts (like how women were treated in the 1400s) but that shows how much of an emotional tie I had to these characters. There was also so political intrigue in the book and that definitely kept me on my toes. Just a note though: not a book to read if you’re squeamish, as there is an emphasis on childbirth, smallpox, and foot binding that is a bit graphic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mermaidsherbet's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism

himpersonal's review against another edition

emotional informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Well done For the most part, thought it got a bit lost toward the end before picking back up to finish mostly well. The foot binding and Confucian patriarchy will always trigger me. Good enough story otherwise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Torture, Grief, Abandonment, and Classism

smkelly1997's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Overall I did enjoy this book. The big plot twist was one I saw coming so I was not extremely surprised. I will say the authors writing was poetic and easy to follow. The book went from slow to medium pace for me. While the voice actor did a great job at times I was left wanting more for other characters. I will say Lady Tan is a fascinating woman and I am eagerly trying to learn more of her story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Miscarriage, Slavery, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent