The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

Written By: Lisa See

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: 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.

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 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 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.

Setting: China, U.S.A.

Format: Hardcover, 370 Pages; Paperback, 371 Pages

Goodreads Rating: 4.27

*Please note, all books are pre-loved, but have been carefully looked through to ensure they are not missing any pages and are in good condition. If there are any visible flaws, these will have been noted in the product photo.