In the eyes of Confucius, education renders a woman worthless, but Tan Yunxian, born into privilege yet burdened by loss, separations, and solitude, is being raised by her grandparents with a purpose. Her grandmother, one of the few female doctors in China, imparts the wisdom of Chinese medicine to Yunxian, emphasizing the Four Examinations: observation, listening, touch, and inquiry—procedures forbidden for male doctors when treating female patients.

From an early age, Yunxian learns about women's ailments, particularly those related to childbirth, alongside her companion, Meiling, a young midwife-in-training. Despite the societal barriers that dictate doctors should not handle blood while midwives are immersed in it, the two forge a deep friendship, vowing to support one another through life's joys and challenges. Embracing the belief that beauty can blossom from adversity, they persist in the face of hardship.

However, when Yunxian is forced into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law prohibits her from seeing Meiling or aiding the women and girls in the household. Yunxian must conform to the role of a dutiful wife—embroidering bound-foot slippers, reciting poetry, giving birth to sons, and remaining confined within the walls of the family compound known as the Garden of Fragrant Delights.

How can someone like Yunxian break free from these societal constraints, dedicating herself to the treatment of women from all walks of life? How will the power of friendship both support and complicate her endeavors? Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a captivating tale of women empowering and uplifting one another. It also reimagines the remarkable life of a woman who defied norms in the Ming dynasty and continues to be an inspiration today.