The pages of this work are inspired by the true story of Tan Yunxian. She was a 16th-century aristocrat who managed to break stereotypes and become a doctor, as well as the author of a book on medicine. This novel is about women and their difficult fate: in China, there were many traditions and rules that they had to follow. Ms. Tan recounts how she lived in her parents' home, how she prepared to become a good wife, and does not hide the details of foot binding and the illnesses associated with it. Later in her life, medicine and the desire to help women appear. Lisa See knows how to intrigue and describe rather horrific phenomena in a smooth, gentle way. The novel provides a detailed account of Chinese medicine at the time and highlights women's issues that arose earlier in society, allowing for a better analysis of the present and the past.