Meet the Author: Lisa See

On Thursday, June 22, 2023, Darien Library, along with Barrett Bookstore, welcomed New York Times bestselling author, Lisa See to the Library. She talked about her latest historical novel, Lady Tan's Circle of Women.

Inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th-century China, the novel tells the story of Tan Yunxian—born into an elite Chinese family. Her grandmother, one of only a handful of female doctors in China, 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. However, things change when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, with her mother-in-law demanding that Yunxian act like a proper wife—and stay forever within the walls of the family compound. 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.

About the Author
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 Historymaker’s Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women.