Lisa See created beautiful characters against a background of rural China to envelop readers in the world of the Tea Girl. Social issues are subtly addressed: the one child rule and the impact of adoption of Chinese girls, drug abuse and the education of girls are most prominent. As the main character grows and changes throughout the novel so do those around her. Ancient traditions are often appalling but the reader gains an understanding of their importance in the lives of the characters as they examine how to relinquish some superstitious/traditional beliefs. Surprisingly there are changes as the world of the mountain people grows. This is a glimpse into the way modern society influences change around the world. Tea is a main character in the book and the history is very interesting and is explained as part of the story. This is a page turner of the highest quality.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Sara See released this march 21 is like a very good cup of tea: intense, vibrant, low, delicate, calm, refreshing and precious.

When you drink tea you take your time for absorbing the moment, isn't it true?

Cuddled by a warm sensation and a moment suspended by the time.

You don't rush, you enjoy to taste the intensity of tea, its warm, its delicacy.
Drinking tea is a ritual in slow motion for loving yourself.
A moment dedicated only to you.
Tea is a philosophy of life.

I am a tea lover and I lived reading The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane like this­.
I can compare this book at the best cup of tea I have ever drunk.
The book has its own times, narration is quiet, meditative, sweet, peaceful, absorbing, wise, tender.

This wonderful book written by Sara See follows in the narration the times of tea and the times of a different philosophy and religion explaining to us the importance of tea for the East part of the world and what it means to them this commerce.

Lisa See is enchantingly poetic in describing the microcosm and little society of Akha like also all their traditions, most of them ancestral, old like the Time and the World and her writing-style is captivating from the first words.

The narration of the book is in first person and they're the words of Li-yan, the daughter of a-ma and a-ba to resonate.
Her mom very considerate in the tribe, a woman magical for many ways.
She knows the old traditions and sacred guidelines of her tribe.
Li-yan grows up more modern and rebel and in a society in evolution falling in love with a guy called San-pa that for magical reasons not at all good for her.

It was intriguing and captivating to learn which were the most profound animistic traditions of Akha.
They believed in them keeping the society very united. Each person had his/her own place in that specific land and tribe.

Many rituals, from birth to departure passing through acts of purification described with great intensity and penetration giving to the reader the exact mirror of the mentality of that wonderful people and creating so a big impact to the narration of the book, dense and felt from the beginning to the end.

Nature, magic, work, descriptions are poetic and together create a spectacular masterpiece.

The reader is transported in distant lands with great poetry and for some while our dimension will be forgotten, falling in a complete different atmosphere for mentality and spirituality.

You will stay relaxed while you will read this book because this book is a book of hope, a book of traditions, a book of strength and sacrifices of women. A book of past, present, memories, new beginnings. And a book with a different time. More absorbing.
You will notice a complete different writing-style only when the narration will involve the USA. Quick, modern.

The story of this society will change with the arrival of Mr Huang - the story starts in 1988 - the new arrival in this closed society in search for great tea.

The protagonist is intelligent and she decide to study and to become someone but then it happens the unplanned...
She becomes pregnant and helped by her mom she decides to bring the baby in an orphanage to Menghai, China.
In opposite case according to a very old tradition the baby couldn't survive.


Her big love, San-pa is back but he has a frail character and happiness maybe is still distant for this girl, considering that she discover her husband brought her in a place insecure, with drug traffickers and a commerce of opium and heroin.
She run away. She run away from San-pa, her first love, she run away for being free. Back home she will discover that she can become who she wanted to become before the arrival of her baby, and before her wedding with San-pa.

At the same time the little baby adopted a Californian family living in Los Angeles. Although Dan and Constance are growing up Haley very well, Haley will search for her mom...

The end of this book is touching.

You will discover reading this book how precious is tea and how important it is to give great quality tea to tea drinkers. It is an ethical story.
You will learn everything about tea and its commerce, like also about humanity and changes caused by the arrival of the so-called progress in the remote village where the protagonist of the book live, with, of course, modernity able to replace religion, old habits and rituals.

Another big thematic is the search for the past, because past unforgettable. A baby is too precious for not thinking of it.


Highly recommended! for sure.

I thank NetGalley and Scribner for this book.

History and culture come to life in this engaging story. I haven't read any of Lisa See's books before and was looking forward to diving into this one.

This book is like opening a treasure chest into an less known but richly cultured world. The Akha are a poor, small and remote mountain tribe in China, who produce Pu'er' Tea. The history, daily life, politics, and ideologies of this people are brought to life in a way which grabs and lets the reader fall into their world, while gaining an understanding of their values and ways of thinking. The author handles this with beautiful finesse while bringing in an engaging plot.

Li-Yan is a wonderful young woman, who grows up in this setting. She's a lovely character, easy to befriend and follow as she faces the difficulties not only of her people, but later in bringing a balance with the traditional and the modern world. When Li-Yan falls in love and becomes pregnant, she's faced with horrible choices and decides to sneak her child and abandon it in a neighboring village so that it won't be killed.

The emotions in this book are as raw and intriguing as the historical and informational details, making this a read which teaches as well as drives to thought with characters which are hard to forget.

I thought that I had already submitted my review, but it appears lost. I have loved Lisa See's books for a very long time. This book reminds me why I loved Peony in Love and other early stories. The characters were beautifully drawn and I felt I learned a lot about the Akha,, a small ethnic minority in China, their ways and culture, and then I had the chance to see them enter the outer world first as an individual, the heroine of this story, and then as a whole village. It is also a story of the tea industry within China. All of it is richly shown and at times you could almost feel and smell the places and events portrayed. Li Yan and her abandoned child, Haley, are well done but I did find the group therapy session transcript really off. This is possibly the only time I have ever suggested to the publisher that the author should have had a Psychotherapy Group practitioner read through the long section and review both for validity as session notes as well as if a group of young to middle teens would ever talk in such a sophisticated manner. Most teens would never have access to the feelings these young girls were sharing in group therapy. Psychotherapy is never a quick process and this section was, for me, very off putting.

This is, however, Lisa See at her best. It is well researched, a compelling, unique story that mirrors the prejudice that existed in the not so long ago past China. I never knew a lot of the information she shared and much of it really surprised and intrigued me to want to know more. I found myself looking up places and events and, of course, hoping for the happy ending that our heroine deserves. A very good book!

Along with

This is my first novel from Lisa See and she immediately pulls you into the story of Li-yan with her powerful prose. Li-yan has spent her life following the Akha customs and farming tea with her family. So much happens to Li-yan throughout her life, including having a child out of wedlock and abandoning it at the nearest city instead of disposing of it like tradition says. No matter what I say it will not do it justice to the wonderful story of Li-yan, her family, and the obstacles they must overcome. You will not be disappointed by this novel!

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is excellent! I love how Lisa See includes so much historical, political and cultural detail in her stories and covers subjects that (at least in my experience) aren't commonly known. Here, the story explores the lives of the Akha ethnic minority in the Yunnan province of China during the transformative decades of the 1980s to present, as well as the intersection of traditional and modern techniques for tea growing and processing. At the center of this richly detailed backdrop is the heartbreaking and heartwarming story of Li-yan, a young girl torn between the old ways and modern civilization that is starting to infiltrate her village. The story follows her initial struggles to escape from the limitations she sees of her family's way of life, her quest to forge a new identity in the modern world, and her ultimate reconciliation and acceptance of her cultural heritage and identity. Intertwined with Li-yan's story is that of the baby girl she is forced to give up for adoption and who struggles with her own identity as an adopted Chinese-American searching for her birth mother.

One of the things I love most about Lisa See's stories is that she forces the reader to view cultural practices that seem incomprehensible or "backwards" from the perspective of those who have practiced them for generations. The opening chapters are admittedly challenging, as the strict cultural taboos of the Akha often have (from a Western perspective) disturbing results. However, See does an excellent job of showing the reader the nuances of their culture and counterbalancing it later with the dark side of the modern world, as well.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys tea and wants to learn more about how it's grown and its changing role as a commodity in the global economy. I also recommend it for anyone looking for an emotionally engaging story with a unique setting.

Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

Wonderful book. Showed me so much I never knew about different cultures, the tea culture and adoption. Great story line, wove through time and places I'd never been. The declaration, 'No coincidences, no story' brought it all together. Loved this book, will read it again. Will suggest it to friends and on Goodreads. Thank you! Looking forward to more from this author.

Thoroughly researched and incredibly written, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane tells the story of Li-yan a member of the Akha. Li-yan bucks tradition and makes incredibly hard decisions for herself and the daughter she gives away. Mother and daughter lead full rich lives separately until their lives intersect in the perfect ending to this story.

Atmospheric, evocative, and remarkably researched!

This story is predominantly set in a mountainous village in rural China where the Akha subsist off the tea tree leaves that grace the landscape and are governed by the ancient superstitions, traditions and spirituality passed down from generation to generation.

The prose is descriptive and precise. The characters are genuine, strong, intelligent and hardworking. And the story has two distinct plots; one involving the coming-of-age, independence, perseverance and success of Li-Yan as she bravely follows her aspirations beyond the confines of her home; and the other which details the struggles and difficulties faced by her daughter, Haley, being raised by adoptive parents of a different race, culture and country than that of her ancestry.

I would have to say that although I found the history of tea production and insight into the ethnic minorities of China incredibly fascinating and enjoyable in this novel the ending felt just a little bit rushed. I would definitely have appreciated and welcomed a few more pages dedicated to the climactic mother-daughter reunion at the end.

However, overall this book is well written, engrossing and well worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Scribner, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author and publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed some of Lisa See's other books, particularly [book:Snow Flower and the Secret Fan|1103], but haven't read any in quite a while, as I found I didn't enjoy some of her later work as much as Snow Flower. However, this one didn't disappoint at all. I really became immersed in the story and cultural details. I find her writing to flow well, with some beautiful prose. The historical detail in this book was so interesting - a topic I knew nothing about, that I now want to learn more of. It's clear she put a lot of research into the book.

The characters are richly described, and grow believably over time. The perspective of the adopted girl of her life in the US to white parents was an interesting one. I liked how the perspective went back and forth throughout the years of the book, between the mother and daughter.

In the early part of the book, where the culture and rituals of the Akha people are described, there are sections that can be difficult to read (and amazing considering the time frame of the book), but I'm sure the historical detail is accurate, and the book certainly made me think about how different life is in many parts of the world.

The ending may be a little too pat and maybe even far-fetched for some people's taste, but I was happy with it. "No coincidence, no story" was a thread throughout, and I think because of that, the ending was justified. I'm looking forward to learning more about Pu'er and maybe even trying it sometime soon.

Lisa See has done it again! The whole time I was reading this book, I'm thinking to myself "Is this based on a real story or not." That's when you know its a good book, when you can't tell the real from the fake. There was so much depth to the characters and all the superstitions and traditions that the Akha carried. It must have took the author a lot of time in research. I was sucked into a world that felt old and far away, but was in fact set in the current world and was only a plane flight away. Loved this story!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Prepare to transport yourself to remote China - to characters who feel like they lived in the late nineteenth /early twentieth century, even though the story starts in the 1990s. Lisa See brings to life a world in which Spirits and old customs guide a young girl's life until she finally finds the courage to leave and embark on new adventures.

Li-yan is an Akha, an ethnic minority who lives in the Tea Growing region of China (at one point the Akha are compared to the North American Cree). Born to a poor family she is encouraged to attend school and pursue a life outside of the forest. The story Lisa See weaves is page-turning addictive: first love, an unwed mother who must give away her daughter, who then suffers loss, then finds success and a new love. We see the struggle between remaining faithful to her upbringing while also accepting the changes in her life. Well developed characters, wonderful writing (such a clear and authentic Chinese voice) and a story well told.

Except.

For the Haley storyline. Haley is Li-yan's daughter who was abandoned and then adopted by an American couple. I think Lisa See was trying to include the one-child rule in the story (and how strict it was), as well as an awareness of how many baby girls where then adopted out of China in the 1990s. I found that it was the most disjointed part of the book; the parts told by either Haley or her adoptive mother's perspective felt less authentic than the Chinese voice and felt like it broke the story up a little too much. I'm all for a subplot, but I didn't think that this one was necessary - or should have been even more developed.

That said. This is still a 4 star read because it was able to transport me to an entirely foreign place, an unknown culture and people, and was able to make tea growing and selling really interesting.

A recommended read.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner Publishing, for the amazing novel The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. An inspiring tale about tradition, family bonds, and destinies changed by single moments. This story takes place during a lifetime of significant changes in China. A girl, growing up in the remote mountains where the ancient tea trees grow. Raised in the Akha ways, with modest beginnings, through China's economic and cultural revolution, she evolves. With a daughter across the ocean, and many surprising events as well as choices along the way, Lisa See certainly does not disappoint! I highly recommend this book.

Lisa Sees writes such evocative. descriptive books about Chinese women that always have a wonderful place for me to stop and have a little cry. This one features, Li-yan, the lovely and intelligent girl who lives in the isolation of the mountain country growing tea.

The isolation is both good and bad. The community lives by many superstitions including killing twins at birth and then exiling their parents. It also misses quite a few of the experimentations of Mao Tse Tung. They do inherit a teacher reassigned to their community and then for some reason never allowed to return him. He fans the flames of Li-yan's intelligence and eventually arranges her to go on to further schooling, the first in her mountain community.

Tea production is important to her and the public's interest in tea matures and eventually she is admitted to the first class of the newly minted Tea College. There she opens a whole world not only for herself but for the production and marketing of Chinese teas. The science of tea and how it evolved it is quite fascinating. I had no idea how much was involved in getting a nice cup of tea.

China has not been kind to women. With the one child policy, many baby girls were abandoned and left to die or taken to orphanages. There were many adopted by Americans. In the course of Li-yan's life she has a daughter that she gives up for adoption. The daughter, Hayley's, life is told a concurrent time-line. It is interesting to read how the two lives are so different and yet how they both longed for each other.

I found the ending a little too pat for my taste but that is minor matter. This book opens a whole new culture for you and how can you beat that?

This is a lovely story about tea, China's minority ethnic groups, their traditions and how the modern world affects them. There is a story about an illegitimate child left for an orphanage and then adopted by US parents.
Some characters who interact:
Akha minority people--A-ba and A-ma, parents to Li-yan. San-pa, Li-yan's boyfriend.
Teacher Zhang, exiled Han majority teacher living with Akha
Mr. Huang, Chinese tea trader.
Two quotes:
"...the spirit gate. Carved figures of a man and woman are mounted on the posts. The woman has huge breasts. The man has a penis as thick as timber bamboo, longer than my entire height, and sticking straight out."
"Guests at the King World Hotel have a peculiar view of value. They refuse to stay in a room if it doesn't have a sit-down toilet. This took me the longest time to accept, because who would want to sit in the same place where someone else's rump has been to do your private business?"
I rate it 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4. Thanks to NetGalley for this book.

I loved this book!! I usually like Lisa See, this time she has gone above my expectations. The history of tea and the life of the hill tribes was riviting. I really love to learn about Asian history and I really wasn't aware of this culture existing. It's a little long and in depth but it felt like the story flew by. This is one to savor!!

I found this book to be a treasure: a compelling story, a strong narrative voice, instructive and deeply engaging. The book is excellent historical fiction: the story of a minority ethnic Chinese woman whose culture revolves around a special tea as well as a strong cultural belief system. The protagonist, Tina or Li-yan is firmly rooted in her culture and her observations are powerful. Her voice rings true, and the story is well crafted--it follows her through her childhood just after the cultural revolution, through her life in a multitude of settings as she comes of age, gives up a child for adoption, marries, becomes educated and ultimately immigrates. She is rooted in her Ahka culture. The other protagonist is her daughter who is adopted by a loving white family in the US, and there is a deep exploration of the issues of bi-cultural adoption--Asian girls who aren't accepted by either their Caucasian or Asian peers. The book is prefaced by an Ahka saying "no coincidence, no story" and the coincidences may stretch credibility a bit, but they in no way undermine the power of the story. I learned so much from this book, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Love all of her books. So engrossing and compelling. You can actually imagine what life might be like (a little) for people in these tribes - and not too long ago. Also made me really intrigued and I've started drinking tea! Highly recommend.

Powerful and beautiful story about mothers and daughters and society. Beautifully written and haunting.

This was an insightful story about Chinese culture with regards to tea and having children. I loved "Tina" and her hard work and warm heart.