Lisa See's novel 'Lady Tan's Circle of Women' draws inspiration from a 1511 medical textbook by the distinguished female doctor Tan Yunxian. This episode delves into See's creative process and features scholar Lorraine Wilcox, who translated the original Chinese text, showcasing Tan's contributions to medicine during the Ming Dynasty. Although Tan's work was nearly lost, it was preserved through her great-nephew's reprint. Their collaboration highlights Tan's legacy, illustrating the role of women in early medicine and the importance of rediscovering historical figures.
Lisa See: She herself says in her introduction that one thing she wants is that women at home could use this like a cookbook.
We're exploring a fictionalized account of an actual lost woman of science from 15th-century China, Tan Yunxian.
Lorraine translated Tan Yunxian's original book, Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor, and it was by pure chance that Lisa discovered.
Through serendipitous scholarly connections, Wilcox translated it, and See used that translation as the inspiration for her novel.
Collection
[
|
...
]