Another fascinating story from this author. This time she looks at a Chinese ethnic minority group with their unique culture and beliefs. She also speaks to the Chinese tea trade and foreign adoption procedures and problems. The ending seemed contrived, but then it was a happy ending.

A fascinating and mesmerizing look into the adoption process and results of Chinese children by Americans. Things aren't always as they seem. In someways better but not always. Excellent writing and storytelling. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Lisa See novel. The characters were engrossing and I enjoyed learning about the history of tea making and the Pu'er tea... I enjoyed reading about the culture of the Akha people.

Beautiful, stunning, educating historical fiction. Lisa See does it again! I truly loved this book.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, the latest book by Lisa See, is fascinating fiction that tells the story of mothers and daughters, and also talks about tea production, specifically the production of Pu’er. With fully realized characters and a beautiful story, this is perhaps my favorite of Lisa See’s books, and one I will read again.

The book starts out in 1988 and we get a look at how the Akha people in the tea mountains of China live. We read about their beliefs and how they enforce their beliefs, and these sections are interesting. When the book first began, I wasn’t really sure if I was connecting to the story, but then a horrific childbirth scene happens that changes the trajectory of the novel, and I was hooked and could not put the book down.

Our main character is Li-yan, a young Akha girl who wants an education and to someday leave the mountains. Li-yan is a compelling heroine; one whom you root for and long for her to find her happiness. When Li-yan has her baby girl, and gives her up for adoption, the book starts to give glimpses into the baby’s life. The baby, who happens to be adopted by an American couple, is named Haley, and the book doesn’t give us too much of her life; it gives us just enough, and this was wise of Lisa See, as the more interesting story here is that of Li-yan, and Li-yan’s mother, So-sa.

Li-yan comes from a long line of tea pickers, and the history of tea making and production, and the making of teacakes was fascinating.

Li-yan’s mother, So-sa, was my favorite character. So-sa, a midwife and medicine woman was full of mystery and depth. As this book is about mothers and daughters, and while the relationship between Li-yan and Haley is a driving force of the book, the relationship between Li-yan and her mother was compelling and fascinating as well.

Without going into too much detail as to the story, the one complaint readers might have is that everything may be tied up too neatly at the end. The story starts out with the line “No coincidence, no story”, and I thought the story and the plotting was excellent and the tidying up of the plot didn’t bother me. It just felt right and truly satisfying.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane will make fans of Lisa See very happy, and this is a book that book clubs will be discussing for years. I can hardly wait to discuss it with my own book club someday!

Bottom Line: Fascinating and compelling. A 5 star read!

This is a go big, or go home kind of book. Targeting a global village of readers from different walks of life. Reading this book is not only a story, it is a journey through history, into a documentary field and finally lying down in a political hotbed. Now, add a strong mother-daughter bond, with a mother tree into the mix, and you have the whole picture.

There are three main themes in the book:

1) The introduction of the Akha People from the Yunnan Province in the southwest of China, bordering Laos and Burma. One of the most remote provinces of China;

2) The history of the Pu're' tea;

3) The Chinese Orphanages for girls and the issue around the ± 180 000 girls who found new homes all over the world.

Combine these three elements, and you get The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

First we must find the mother tree:
Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

It grows hidden in the remote Nannuo mountains of the region. The yellow-hair tea, the most sought-after tea in China and the must-have status symbol for the 'addicts' of this niche market within a niche market of tea connoisseurs. Like other fake international labels, pu're' has its moments of fraud and fantasy as well. As long as it has the label, the brand printed BIG over it and you have the gold to afford it, you have arrived. But in this story, the real pu're'(pu'reh), the cream of the crop, becomes almost a character in the book.

LET ME GET MY PEEVES OUT OF THE WAY.
The first part of the book, in which the soul and character of Spring Well Village is captured in gripping detail, had me excited beyond words. It is just the most amazing atmospheric, lyrical prose ever. But then the documentary element kicks in. The show, don't tell principle, the main mantra of any good novel, took a complete hike!

Boring dialogue, spread over pages and pages and pages of the narritive, introduces a group of Chines adoptees in America to the tale, that has absolutely, none, zero, zilch to do with the main story. Adding Haley Davis to that interview was forced, superficial and just too obvious. It slowed down the story line too much. Ugh!!!!!

Adding to that too many pages of tea information, even quoted from other books, just killed the ambiance for me. It was overkill.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK.
The human interest side of the book:
Well drawn characters, lyrical prose, atmospheric setting, intense drama and a rich index of cultural practices: some of them hilarious, others gut-wrenching cruel.

The mother tree, protected for hundreds of years by the women in the family, is the life-giving force to the minority communities in the mountains. The tree is also the heart of the book, both anchoring the story of the strong women to the history of the tea industry.

A-ma, the village medicine woman and midwife, uses the symbiotic plants and fungi growing on its roots and bark, to heal every ailment in the village. Her medicines are legendary; her secret ingredients, potent. The tea cakes made from its leaves encourage tea merchants from all over the world to find it. Yet only a selected lineage of women knows the magic secret of its location and story.

The tree belongs to A-ma and the ownership of the land it is growing on is transferred from one generation of women to another. No men are allowed to see it. The only man who found it, was buried with a broken neck. Only one daughter inherits the land, the tree and its secrets. Li-yan, is A-ma's daughter and the next woman in line to become the mother tree's guardian.

Against the trunk of the old tree, a baby is born. Illegitimate, unwanted. Secret. Yan-yeh, Spiny Thistle, would be her name. For now. Her birth remains a secret.

She is supposed to be killed but Li-yan cannot push the mixture of rice husks and ashes into the little girl's mouth and nostrils. The-friend-living-with-child inside the mother's body, cannot be buried underneath the house to keep a child's spirit bonded to the family as is the custom.

Instead, wherever her destiny will take her, Yan-yeh's spirit will forever be bonded to the mother tree where her afterbirth is buried in secret. The anguish, courage, and sacrifice of her young mother will follow her into the world. A spiritual bond with a secret piece of land, an ancient old tea cake, and the spirit of the mother tree will determine her destiny.
"You have been born on Chicken Day, you’ll always know the opening and closing of the sun.”
The bond between women of one blood can never be broken. A-ma's final words to the little waste child:
A-ma holds Spiny-thistle while I eat. “Look around you,” she coos to the baby. “This is the mother tree. These are the sister trees. You may never see this place again, but it is yours by right. Our blood is in this earth. It has nourished these trees. You are a part of them, and they are a part of you.” She pauses before continuing. “There can be no proper naming ceremony for you, since neither your father nor one of your grandfathers can perform the rite...”
Despite the dumping of information into the text, the story line remains as strong as the umbilical cord keeping the mother tree linked to the destiny of grandmother, mother and granddaughter.

From a sad, shocking and traumatic beginning, to a happy, sunny and successful ending, the narrative relentlessly keep the story line intact. The colorful cast of characters populate a very well-written story.

Lisa See, an Asian American, brings Chinese history and stories to her reader as captivating historical fiction. She's not only a novelist, but also involved in community projects for which she has received numerous awards. There is always much to learn and ponder in her books.

This book reflects her passion for her subjects and interests.

I loved the first half of the book. It was really so well done. Excellent. But then as the mood changed, so did the ambiance. The ending, however, brought the book full circle in an unexpected fanfare. A great surprise was waiting and it made me realize how masterfully this tale was constructed.

Absolutely worth the read.

Thank you Lisa See, Netgalley and Scribner for the opportunity to review this book.

Twin babies must be killed at birth by their fathers according to ancient Chinese beliefs. Li-jan is a young girl who witnesses this horrific murder while assisting her mother who delivered these babies who were born in a remote tribe in rural China. The Akha tribe had deep cultural and religious beliefs and superstitions that demanded that the babies be killed and both parents were banished forever from the tribe. This brutal act had a deep impact on Li-Jan and from that moment on she had her doubts and questions in regards to the rules and traditions that everyone followed. Li-Jan is an intelligent little girl who wished to continue her education in a village that held no value for girls. As Li-jan matures she later finds herself pregnant and unmarried. The village superstition also demands that her baby should die so she keeps her pregnancy a secret and leaves her baby on the doorstep of an orphanage.
Li-Jan is allowed to continue in school and her village thrives as they begin to prosper from Tea harvesting. Li-Jan has never forgotten her little girl. As life improves for her she begins her journey to try to find her baby only to learn that the baby was adopted by an American couple.
The child, Haley, that Li-Jan gave birth to is also struggling with questions about her birth parents, so an alternative point of view is added to the drama and excitement woven into the story.
Lisa See has written another excellent historical story that had me in tears at times but anxious to read on. Her writing is flawless and the story is well written and engrossing. As a tea drinker I found it fascinating to learn about the process of tea production and harvesting as this is an integral part of the story of the Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley and this is an honest review.

Li-yan and her family live in a remote village in China. Her family and the other families in the village grow tea. Their lives revolve around the seasons of the tea. Li-yan meets San-pa and falls in love. Soon after she becomes pregnant and gives the baby girl to the orphanage. The baby is adopted to a family in the United States. The book follows the next 20 years for both Li-yan and her baby girl. It is a story of traditions, family, love, and redemption. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read and review this book. I received and ARC of this book for an honest review.

For fans of Lisa see, this book is a no-brainer. Rushing to read it will not be soon enough. Li-Yan, a member of an insular ethnic minority, the Akha tribe, lived in the southwest corner of Yunnan, China. As a child she has grown up with her family and community cultivating the exceptional tea called Pu-erh. Animism permeates their daily life and adds a spiritual depth to their interaction with one another and their world. As the only daughter,her mother is an anchor that deepens as time marches on. However, life changes when a stranger comes to their settlement searching to purchase a large quantity of their tea. Life comes even more complicated when Li-Yan is banished from her community for having a child out of wedlock. Tearfully, she makes the decision to leave her child at an orphanage along with a teacake of Pu-erh to remind the child of her roots. Subsequently, the child is adopted by an American family. Life evolves, and the book follows Li-Yan's life path, filled with tragedy and success, though she is always grieving at the loss of her child. Don't ask me for more details; let your curiosity make you run out to read this novel. The historical accuracy is astonishing verified by my research on the internet. I was totally swept up learning about this new culture. Weaving it into a wonderful novel is a indeed a feat.

Ps. I now drink Pu-erh tea!!

I loved this book! Like many of her books before, Lisa See captures the culture of China while telling a story that women of any culture can connect with.
Girl is raised in the tea mountains in China in very modern times but the times have not caught up with her village. Tradition, spirits, and old fashioned gender roles still rule. Girl is never called by her given name while she is in the village as she struggles to find a place in her family of tea growers. Her only solace in an ancient tea tree passed down maternal lines. When Girl finds herself as the mother of a "human reject" she must find her own place in the world while building her own family.
See captures the traditional and beliefs of the Akha people with compassion and intelligence. Girl is haunted by her heritage as well as bettered by it and it is this delicate game of balancing that readers connect with. we are all outsiders somehow and we all know too well what it feels like not to fit in.
Ultimately a story about parent/child love, See presents a variety of characters and familiar relationships. Seeing how each family deals with tragedy and hope is all consuming and the reader roots for each to find happiness.
See tells a beautiful story set in china's Pu'er boom that transcends culture to tell a story of loss, redemption and love.

When a sheltered young Chinese woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she leaves the child to be adopted by an American family. As that child, a girl named Haley, grows up in California, she wonders about her birth mother almost as much as Li-Yan, her birth mother wonders what has become of her. This is a lush and evocative story of mothers and daughters and the clash of cultures and gender roles

From a small mountain village in China, where the minorities live, Li-yan and her family collect tea leaves. The members of their little enclave live and love by the old and often strict traditions of the Akha people as they have for many generations. The Akha follow their spiritual leaders and manage to scrape by with little money and barely enough food. Li-yan’s mother is the medicine woman and mid-wife of their village and most often backbone of their community. When they are not collecting tea leaves Li-yan is one of the lucky few children to attend a small school hut where Teacher Zhang instills a love of learning and ultimately changes her future. One day a jeep mysteriously arrives and Mr. Huang – a successful businessman in search of the highest quality tea - can only be assisted by Li-yan as she now is the sole villager to speak Mandarin. And so begins her journey into adulthood, the difficult choices that are made and sometimes opportunities also missed. The intense mother love travels between mountain top villages and stretches across vast oceans all the way to California. Once again, magnificent author Lisa See takes us on a journey to another world where the reader can see the leaves being plucked one by one and practically smell the blossoms on the trees. Her steadfast attention to detail brings the characters alive and you will be thinking of Li-yan and her family long after the story ends. I am in awe of the way Ms. See manages to bring full circle the outcome and life lessons so smoothly that I find myself slowing my reading to digest every beautiful sentence. I highly recommend this breathtaking novel which will surely capture your imagination and your heart. And quite possibly have you booking a trip to China (as I hope to) in the near future. Thank you netgalley!!

4.5 stars

This story gives us a fascinating look at this ethnic minority known as the Akha in a rural village in a tea growing region in China. It also provides fairly in depth information on the tea industry. But this is Lisa See and so it is of course so much more. It has language that flows and characters that you grow attached to even though you might not understand their culture and a captivating story of mothers and daughters, families, fate and love. There are multiple layers here. Li-yan's life and journey not only reflects the Akha culture but then how the country changes in the years after The Cultural Revolution and in places outside of the village. A secondary narrative depicts what it might be like as an adopted Chinese child, living in America but yet wondering about her roots and feeling connected to where she was born.

It's about even more than these characters and this people that I knew nothing about until this reading this book . It's about the things shared by all people - love , coming of age, mistakes and redemption, about the strength of two women. Li-yan's desire to be more than what her culture required of women, and her desire to do what she has to do to find what she has lost is at the center of the story . Her mother whose love for her daughter gives her the strength to break with the traditions and beliefs out of love is one of my favorite characters.

In the isolated place called Spring Village, the Akha people believe in the meaning of dreams, the hierarchy of "power and importance, the spirits, many superstitions and strict rules . Rules that would require a father to kill his babies if they were born twins then banishing the parents, rules that require the same from an unwed mother. With these odds against her and given the lowly position of women in this society, Li-yan boldly defies the rules. The modern world after some years comes to the village and Li-yan goes to the modern world as does another from the village . I anxiously awaited the time when these two would meet again. This would have been 5 stars for me but even though the tea is central to the story, you get everything you ever wanted to know about tea and then some and this was just a bit too much at times. However, this is a satisfying, captivating story that I definitely recommend, especially to Lisa See's fans.

I received an advanced copy of this from Scribner through Edelweiss and NetGally.

I loved this book, as I do all of Lisa See's books! What a wonderful story entwining the culture of the Akha people of China, adoption, loss and finding peace in painful choices. Lisa See has done an amazing job researching her topics, and bringing them to life in this novel. The story takes place in a remote village in the Yunnan province in China, and centers around a culture that grows, tends to and ferments ancient tea treats to create Pu'er tea. I love tea, and it's rich history, so it made this book even more enjoyable! Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy that the gave me to read and review!

This might be my favorite ever from Lisa See. From the total devastation of a mother leaving her child on the doorstep of an orphanage to a young Chinese girl raised by loving adoptive parents in America, this story has all the highs and lows that make See such a remarkable storyteller. It also blends in all kinds of facts about growing, harvesting, processing and trading in the tea market. Throughout this book I just wanted a really good cup of tea.

In all of Lisa See's books there is a good introduction to aspects of the culture and this one was no exception. I had no idea that twins were reviled and that the youth were encouraged to try out their prospective partners before marriage. Some insights into midwifery and family customs also added to the authenticity.

A beautifully told story of the tea region, I'll definitely be recommending this one.

Thanks Scribner and netgalley for this ARC.

Loved the atmospheric ambiance of this novel. i felt like I visited the mountains and smelled the tea leaves- its that good! The pain, love, and fierceness of the women in this story will inspire, motivate, and grab your heart.

This is a fascinating beautifully written book. It held me captivated throughout. I had never heard of the Akha tribe and their beliefs. I had no idea about the value of tea and those who farm and sell it. Some of the book is heartbreaking but there is a lot of joy and love there as well. I loved the ending. This is a book I will remember and be recommending for a long time.

This book follows the life of Li-yan who is a member of the Akha hill tribe in China. Her family, along with a large majority of the tribe, makes a living growing and harvesting tea. The tribe has some very strict practices and rituals based on superstition. Twin births are considered defects and classified as human rejects. Custom requires that they be killed by their father and the parents banished from the community.

Li-yan falls in love with a boy in the village named San-pa. The family does not want them involved due to their birth signs not being compatible. Li-yan discovers she is pregnant with San-pa’s child after he has moved to Thailand. Her pregnancy is hidden with the assistance of her mother. After the birth, the baby is placed in an orphanage and adopted in America.

The book follows Li-yan’s life over the next twenty years as she ventures outside her tribe into the modern day world. Li-yan aches to find the child that she gave up. She has little information on her daughter from the orphanage due to their poor record keeping. Her daughter named Haley lives in California and is also searching for clues about her natural parents. As a young adult she begins to trace her heritage based upon an item left with her at the orphanage. Mother and daughter continue to pursue the answers from their past.

Descriptive and beautifully written, this book is a wonderful portrayal of overcoming obstacles. I enjoyed learning about a new culture while reading this well researched book.

This is an excellent book. my only complaint was that the first significant portion slogged along quite a bit. Honestly, if a good friend hadn't recommended it, I probably would have abandoned it. I'm so glad I didn't because from there it became a page turner - filled with intrigue, beautifully written with strong character development. what's more, the writing was so well done I could easily picture the setting, the villages, their ceremonial outfits and of course, the tea. What a magical story.

“As A-ma said, every story, every dream, every waking minute of our lives is filled with one fateful coincidence after another.”

Naturally, we do not see these ‘fateful coincidences’ as such until the passage of time reveals all. This is a beautiful and brutal tale about Li-yan and how her cultural values shape her life. As an Akha, her family are tea-collectors but that isn’t scratching the surface of how their traditions lift and destroy Li-yan’s future. The Akha, also known as Hani by the Chinese government are a recognized minority. In many ways they are cut off from the modern world and their traditions remain untainted by the outside world. But the modern world is much like water, it will find a way in. As an American peering into the superstitions and traditions, they certainly seem backwards and unconscionable in the cruelty of their rules. That a child born without a father should die, that twins are an evil omen and meet the same fate… well… it’s easy to look into another culture and see horror. Introduced to her first in childhood, Li-yan acts much as any little girl would- shamed by behaviors that are second nature to so many of us. Early on she is meant to learn how to be a midwife, but there are traditions that she cannot stomach. She shows such promise with her education, and this line alone speaks volumes about how many outsiders feel as spectator to the Akha’s way of life. “I’ve lived many years among you,” he says, “and I can tell you this. Your people have no regard for education. You would rather let your children gather food, hunt, and nap than study. You boast of the Akha having one mind, but that mind is shy, closed and suspicious. In this way, you ethnic minorities are all alike.” Hence, Li-yan is chosen to bring honor to the village and inspire other children with her gifted mind. But fate is like the wind and changes direction without warning, blowing us at it’s whims. Li-Yan’s choices with her heart leave her with a child, but she cannot do as she ‘must’. There will be a great divide, she too will face the decision to reject her child, to kill it. Will she?

It is easy to disparage another culture, don’t be put off, there is wisdom and beautiful ceremony within the Akha. As with everything in life, there is good and bad. The traditions that damn her also become her salvation in the tea industry. Her future alters much as does that of her tribe, becoming slowly modernized after she has left. The novel is shockingly disturbing one moment and tenderly beautiful the next. Rather than just a story of love and loss it is rich in culture, history, superstitions, family and the longings of one young girl into adulthood. How does a tea cake hold the answers to an adopted girl’s life? How does one piece of seemingly useless, haunted land tie a generation of women together? Lisa See has written a gorgeous tale and given us a window into the life of a tribe that most of us have never heard of. I was stunned, disgusted, delighted, and sad. This novel is everything a story should be. Regardless of our ethnicity, human beings long for the same things. We all want to be the captain of our own fate, we hunger to break away from ties that strangle us and live our life from the heart of our longings. There will always be obstructions, sometimes it means betraying traditions and family to meet our purpose. Sometimes we are the shadow in our life, choosing poorly in love and other matters, but we (much as Li-yan learns) can change our path. We don’t have to remain damned for our choices. Out of our mistakes, a life can spring forward. In time, we see and experience many deaths and rebirths (including our own) shedding skins, meeting fate with the ability to master what seemed to be our doom.

As another story is intertwined, that of a adoptee of Chinese heritage with only a tea cake as a clue to her origins, the reader witnesses how culture is effected. It’s human nature to hunger for the answers to your beginnings, as if we must understand the past, our ancestors to find our bearings in life. When the Western World adopts from outside of their own culture, it is often a transgression against the birth parents, a decision they didn’t even have a chance to agree to. This happens not just in China, but the world over. What is gained? What is the cost to the child and their birth family? Lisa See has written a rich, engrossing tale overflowing with traditions many of us would otherwise have never known about. A story that leaves us asking ourselves many questions. I want to explore many things about this novel, unfortunately I’d have to risk giving away spoilers. I imagine a book club could spend hours dissecting all of it, exposing the emotional distress some ‘traditions’ caused them to feel.

What looks like doom in the morning, can be happiness laying it’s tracks. I am much reminded of the Parable of the Chinese farmer. Look it up, it pertains to all of us. “We shall see.” You never know what anything will lead to. It’s easy to be hasty and see doom and gloom as much as we see something golden and miss the cracks in it. As for Li-yan and her fate,” we shall see”….

Publication Date: March 17, 2017

Scribner

This book was way out of my genre and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It was so beautifully written and I got to experience a Lisa See book. It was a wonderful experience. This is a historical fiction book of the culture of China. I got to learn a lot about their beliefs and superstitions. When I saw the title of the book I was attracted to it since when I was younger I lived on a street called Hummingbird Lane.

The story starts out about a young girl named Li-Yan who starts a relationship with a boy named San-pa. The parents don't want them to be together in marriage due to their birth signs, San-pa was born on a Tiger Day. Li-Yan was born on a Pig Day and this was uncalled for in their heritage.
Li-yan becomes pregnant and San-pa doesn't even know this since he is in Thailand at the time. Li-yan ends up having the baby but takes it to a house in a basket with a teacake. The family reports it, then the baby is adopted in America.

After mother and daughter have gone their separate ways, Li-yan slowly emerges from the security of her village to encounter modern life while Haley grows up a privileged and well-loved California girl. Despite Haley’s happy home life, she wonders about her origins; and Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. They both search for and find answers in the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for generations.

The second half of the book goes into detail of the tea making and cultural beliefs of the Chinese.
I highly recommend this book to those that love historical fiction. Also to those that love to learn about cultures of another Country, China.

I want to thank Netgalley, Lisa See and the publisher for a copy of this book.