The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

A Novel

By: Lisa See

Narrated by: Ruthie Ann Miles, Kimiko Glenn, Alex Allwine, Gabra Zackman, Jeremy Bobb, Joy Osmanski, Emily Walton, Erin Wilhelmi

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa See, “one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot” (The New York Times Book Review), a moving novel about tradition, tea farming, and the bonds between mothers and daughters.

In their remote mountain village, Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. For the Akha people, ensconced in ritual and routine, life goes on as it has for generations—until a stranger appears at the village gate in a jeep, the first automobile any of the villagers has ever seen.

The stranger’s arrival marks the first entrance of the modern world in the lives of the Akha people. Slowly, Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, begins to reject the customs that shaped her early life. When she has a baby out of wedlock—conceived with a man her parents consider a poor choice—she rejects the tradition that would compel her to give the child over to be killed, and instead leaves her, wrapped in a blanket with a tea cake tucked in its folds, near an orphanage in a nearby city.

As Li-yan comes into herself, leaving her insular village for an education, a business, and city life, her daughter, Haley, is raised in California by loving adoptive parents. Despite her privileged childhood, Haley wonders about her origins. Across the ocean Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. Over the course of years, each searches for meaning in the study of Pu’er, the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for centuries.

A powerful story about circumstances, culture, and distance, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane paints an unforgettable portrait of a little known region and its people and celebrates the bond of family.

***EXCELLENT*** Six stars if I could !!

This book is far from what normally listen to, and in the beginning (based on some disturbing facts) I wasn't sure I could listen. But I was instantly hooked on the story, and especially the characters. The narration was perfect, and I can't remember ever feeling such a sense of loss when a book ended, just because I didn't (don't) want the story to end. I HIGHLY recommend this one.

Good all around read

Very much liked the story and narrator. Nice easy listen. Going now to purchase more from this author.

Good Read

Terrific book. Starts slowly but is wonderful and so enlightens. A joy to listen to. Anne

3-4*s

Extremely interesting glimpse into a culture I know little about. However, I am torn over the writing. The writer seems to grasp the personality of the Chinese characters well, and does a great job of telling the story in China, but when switching to America, she falls short. The letter style of story telling seems fake and contrite. Hayley's voice comes across as whiny and petulant and sounds like a spoiled 10yo even as a 21yo college student. Overall I gave this book a 4* because I enjoyed the story and felt invested in the main characters. I wish the ending had blended the American and Chinese stories together. It felt disconnected and flat when the characters we've come to know so well were simply in the background.

Lisa See is back!

If you could sum up The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane in three words, what would they be?

Sweet, colorful, entertaining.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked them all.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent narrator. Brings the characters to life.

If you could rename The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, what would you call it?

Mothers and Daughters.

Any additional comments?

I wish reviewers would name the other books they liked so I can get a sense of their taste and put their review in context. So here are my favorites: Dreams of Joy (another book by Lisa See), The Invention of Wings, Cutting for Stone, The Nightingale, All the Light we cannot see, Red Sparrow, A Gentleman in Moscow, etc...