The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane - a book review

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advanced reading e-book copy of this book from Jellybooks.com. I have always wanted to read Lisa See but I just had not gotten around to it. When I got this opportunity to read an advanced reading copy, I jumped on it.

This book centers around an Akha (Chinese ethnic minority) girl, Li-Yan, who gives birth to a daughter at a very young age out of wedlock. Because of the beliefs of her culture she was forced to give up her daughter, who was adopted by an American family. It is about Li-Yan's growth, her inner conflicts between her ethnic upbringing and her exposure to a modern and changing China, how she finds balance between the two worlds, and how she reconciles the events of her past. The book seamlessly interweaves the story of Li-Yan and that of her daughter, and how their destinies are tied together by the culture of Pu-Erh tea.

This was a deeply immersive book; I had a difficult time putting it down. Lisa See does an amazing job setting up the plot and the setting, and developing the characters. The history and culture was well-researched, placing the reader right in the middle of all the growth and changes in the characters, the times, and the country. She writes beautiful prose that really draws the reader into the details of the world and the culture.

I learned so much about tea, the culture surrounding it, the history, and the effects of the growing demand for it on China. I drink tea and I am gifted teas from family and friends, but I never knew how multi-faceted tea culture was. This book made me want to learn more about tea and how to determine the quality of the teas in my modest collection.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane comes out on March 21, 2017 and it will make a fine addition to any bookshelf. I will definitely be reading more of Lisa See.

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