A touchingly complex immersion in the lives and culture of the Akha mountain minorities in China, with all the beautiful and mixed up feelings one can get while reading about love, loss, hierarchical struggle and fight for overcoming the social condition as a woman.
And what a spectaculat journey it has been for Li-Yan! Lisa See managed to capture so well the strength and candor of love in all its forms: mother to daughter, mother to granddaughter, wife to husband, Girl to her roots, love for traditions and tea.
This journey is three-fold in my opinion. Firstly, Li-Yan's life, her mistakes, loss, success in business and loving again and finding what she was looking for. Secondly, Haley's growing up and rediscovering her own roots and herself. Last but not least, the changes in Chinese culture in the years after the Cultural Revolution.
There is another angle to the story, the permanance of "lineage", of respecting and trusting the elders, traditions in as much as possible.
The ending is absolutely heart breaking in a beautiful way literally and stilistically. I kept re-reading the last pages for half an hour and still I kept absorbing the phrases.
It is definitely a must read, even if you have never read any book by Lisa See.
Release date is March 21st, 2017.
Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa See has done it again with this beautifully written book of a Chinese family. Once I picked up this book I was immediately drawn in to the Akha minority, their culture, traditions, family and heritage.
Li-Yan gives birth to a daughter at a young age and not married. She has to give up he daughter who is adopted by an American family.
The Akha villagers grow, harvest and sell a brand of tea called Pu'er.
This book ties together the mother-daughter bond and how even though miles apart they think about and love one another.
This was a book I just could not put down! Get ready to lose sleep, as you will want to keep turning those pages!

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you Lisa See for another wonderful journey. Your books always teach me something while engrossing me in a wonderful story and make me want to learn more.

Received advance reader copy from Scribner via Netgalley.

WOW!!! This was the first word that came to my mind after finishing this book. I honestly can’t remember the last time a work of fiction affected me as much on an emotional level as this book did. To say that I enjoyed this book is actually an understatement – more appropriately, I ADORED this book and absolutely savored every minute I spent reading it!

Let’s start with the premise of the book, which is essentially about a girl named Li-yan, who is from the ethnic minority tribe Akha in China. Her tribe resides in a remote Yunnan village called Spring Well, located in the Nannuo Mountains -- a land that is filled with tea trees, some of which date back hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years. Li-yan and her family are tea farmers who make their living by picking tea leaves and then selling them to the local tea collection center. Outside of their regular work as tea farmers, Li-yan’s A-ma (the Akha term for mother) is also a midwife, though in reality, she does so much more than just deliver babies – she is also the village healer of sorts who is able to treat all types of ailments with her special potions. When the story begins, Li-yan is 10-years-old and as the only daughter in the family (she has 3 older brothers), she is destined to follow in her A-ma’s footsteps in becoming a midwife. All Akha follow a strict set of rituals and traditions that have been passed on for generations and any deviation from these customs are viewed as “grave sins” that bring bad luck on the entire village. Depending on the severity of the “violation,” the wrong can be righted through cleansing ceremonies and offerings, with the worst punishment being banishment from the village. With her bold personality and a strong desire to become more than what her culture has destined her to be, Li-yan finds herself constantly defying the rules and “causing trouble to her family.” As we follow Li-yan from adolescence to adulthood, we bear witness to all the trials and tribulations she encounters in her life as she struggles to stay true to her Akha heritage while at the same time understanding that she must also adapt to the ever-changing world around her.

The above summary merely scratches the surface of what this book is about – there is so much more to the story than just a young girl’s coming of age journey. In addition to being a story about culture and tradition, family and relationships, fate and circumstances, love and the strong bond between mothers and daughters, there is also an exploration of the political, economic, and social issues in China throughout the nearly three decades that the story covers. The story itself is told mostly from Li-yan’s perspective, with some sections switching over to Li-yan’s long-lost daughter Haley’s perspective. In terms of setting, majority of the story takes place in China, though a good portion of the second half takes place in the United States (specifically in Southern California).

There are so many things I love about this book! The story is captivating, with the sections on family and the bond between mothers and daughters especially touching and endearing. I was moved to tears with the ending scene (which was at the same time poignant as well as powerful) and still felt a bit sad long after I finished reading the book, mostly because I had grown so attached to the characters and the story that I didn’t want it to end. The prose was beautiful, the characters were endearing, the story was fascinating, the historical aspects were well-researched and meticulously described – all things that set this book apart as exceptional!

This is actually my first time reading Lisa See’s books and I’m glad I started with this one due to how much I was able to relate to so many aspects of this book. As someone who grew up (and currently still lives) in Southern California, it was great fun reading through the second half of the book and recognizing every single place that was referred to (and not just the cities either – the restaurants and shops were places that I’ve been to numerous times). I’m also a tea lover (in fact, I’m drinking Pu’erh right now as I write this), so I really appreciated the detail in which the author described the tea making process and all the other aspects about tea, which was a fascinating read for me. On a deeper level, as a Chinese-American myself, I was able to relate to many of the societal struggles that both Li-yan and Haley went through in the story, as I’ve experienced some of those same struggles first-hand over the years. For me, it was wonderful to see a character like Li-yan – a strong woman who loves her family and embraces her heritage as part of who she is, but at the same time, doesn’t allow herself to be chained down to the rituals and traditions to the point that she is unable to accept anything else outside of them. I also appreciated how Li-yan was able to see her own flaws and mistakes she’d made in her life and owned up to them wholeheartedly. Another favorite character for me was Li-yan’s A-ma, who represented the steadfast adherence to cultural beliefs and customs, but at the same time, demonstrated how a mother’s unconditional love for her daughter can transcend all else.

I highly recommend this book, not just to Lisa See fans, but to anyone who likes a great story with cultural and historical significance as well as well-developed characters and also emotional depth. This is definitely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Lisa See's latest novel, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, manages to transport readers to a totally different time, place, and culture. Rarely can an author fully establish that sense of place when it is so foreign to her readers. Her use of Chinese words to describe unique aspects of the culture is extremely well-done as they are incorporated seamlessly into the dialogue and narrative.

The novel begins in 1988, but the beginning setting is very much removed from the late 2oth century. The Akha people are a semi-secluded tribe in the mountains of Yunnan. They follow the traditions of generations of ancestors growing teas as their village's means of income. By any standards, including their own, they are on the verge of starvation. Their poverty, however, does not stop them from having a rich and fulfilling family life. For readers, the description of their village, Spring Well, establishes a solid foundation on which the lives and habits and beliefs of Li-yan, her extended family, and fellow villagers are built. The village reads like something from generations earlier, lacking basic services; the villagers had never seen electricity or running water so they have no sense of loss. Education is extremely limited, with Master Zhang the village teacher sent there years earlier as part of Mao's revolution. Li-yan is very bright and her education lasts far longer than expected by the family.

Tea - from ancient tree to harvest methods to production to distribution to cultural nuances - is at the core of this novel. Tea serves as the extended metaphor for the Akha culture, past, present and future. The changes to the villagers' way of life as tea becomes a very profitable enterprise are clearly detailed. Not all change is for the better.

Parts of this novel were difficult to read. Life was extremely harsh for the villagers and their culture demanded painful remedies and solutions. While reading about "rejects" through my American lens of safety and ease, it was difficult not to view their beliefs as barbaric. See wonderfully portrays the agonizing pain of family and village as the Akha solutions are carried out.

There are also some conflicting parts of the Akha and Chinese culture. Boys and girls were expected to have intercourse prior to marriage to ensure that they were compatible. Yet, unwed motherhood was viewed as shameful and adding to the concept of "reject." The desire to have male children only added complexity.

I have read several of See's novels and I have loved all of them. Her writing truly provides the reader with an intimate view of another world. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is one of her best.

This was Lisa See's best book yet. In the past we read about California with a China backstory, but the tables were turned this time. This was set in China with a California backstory and as we knew from the press release, it was a story of a Chinese mother and her daughter adopted by a California couple, so I expected a predictable story told in two voices. Not so! We read about the Hill People and their cultural and economic struggles to survive. We read about their minority status and the problem with opium. We read about Pu'er tea, all about Pu'er tea. I was introduced to Pu'er tea through my Tai Chi school, plus two of my friends are adoptive mothers of Korean babies, now grown. This book felt very personal. I loved the ending.

I love Lisa See's work, because she writes with such a knowledge and love of China, that each novel is like visiting with an exotic friend. I have had the joy of spending time in China, and this latest work is so filled with the sights, sounds, and adventure of such a marvelous place in the world. And tea is the perfect back-drop. It's wonderful once again, and a joy as always to read.

An isolated community can soon turn into a global economy and find your neighbors in the most unexpected places. This is a story of life, trauma, regret, cultural differences and redemption. A wonderful intertwining story of a mother and daughter who were separated and found redemption. Excellent book, and makes me want to drink more tea.

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.