The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Read March 23-26, 2017
From reading other reviews for The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane I was intrigued by the tea in this story as tea is my choice of beverage while reading. It used to be wine but I read too much for that.
I loved the quiet time reading and drinking my tea with this remarkable and intriguing book that drew me into a fascinating world of pu’er tea and culture. I partially listened to the audiobook and found it a good one to listen to as well.
The story is mostly told by only daughter Li-Yan called girl by her family who takes us from tea growing Chinese minority Akha who are strong on rules, customs and traditions, to a Chinese drug infested village and to glamorous Los Angeles.
From the vivid descriptions of the tea, background and processing it’s like the tea becomes a character in the story. At times I was overwhelmed by the chilling superstitions and customs of the Akha tribe and it did take a bit away from the drama of the story for me. I loved the powerful bond between Mother and daughter that was stronger than tradition. The excitement was the build up for me as I started to piece together the ending and I loved the way Lisa See wrapped up the ending.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane was an alluring escape that left me wanting to explore and taste fine tea (not my usual Tetley tea) and more of Lisa See’s books.
Penny For Our Thoughts 