Historical Fiction Annotation- The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

Author: Lisa See

Title:  The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: March 21, 2017

Publisher: Scribner

Number of Pages: 384

ISBN13: 9781501154829

Geographical Setting/ Time Period: Remote, rural village in a tea growing region of China

Series: Stand-alone

Subject Headings: Adopted children, Chinese American teenagers, Identity, Mothers and daughters, Akha (Southeast Asian people), Group identity

Plot Summary:

Life of Li-yan and the Akha people, who live in a remote Yunnan village, revolves around the seasons, spiritual/cultural traditions, and tea. Her family is wise in the ways of growing the finest of teas and producing the ancient art of curing and fermenting the leaves. Li-yan is extremely bright, and has the promise of an educated future, something rarely offered to those in her village. However, one day, a jeep arrives in the village carrying a stranger that seeks a rare tea. He does not only bring himself, but his tales of the world outside the small village.

Beginning to reject what she has grown up knowing, Li-yan craves a new life and begins a forbidden relationship with San-pa. Li-yan becomes pregnant, unbeknownst to San-pa, and decides to have the baby outside of wedlock, effectively severing her ties with her family. She leaves the healthy baby girl in the nearest city, in hopes that she will be adopted in America.

This novel follows the life of Li-yan over the next 20 years, as she branches out from the restrictions of her village, and yearns to find the child that she gave up. Meanwhile, her daughter Haley, although well loved and wealthy in California, yearns to know her origins and birth mother. Truly, an emotion packed story of culture, loss, tradition, and everything in between.

Appeal:

Tone/Mood: Sincere, thoughtful, sentimental, & complex

Diction: The language is beautifully crafted and enjoyable for readers to savor. No excessive language, each word feels necessary and right.

Storyline: Steeped in tradition and superstition, this storyline flows beautifully, reminding readers of the depth of the culture and the strong family ties throughout the host of characters.  My only critique is that is that the novel got slightly bogged down with excessive detail in the second half and lacked the first half’s emotional power.

Characterization: This book was filled with Ahka culture: the spirituality, the superstitions, the food, the work, the daily life, and the tea. With that culture came beautifully crafted characters that readers cannot help but invest their emotions and heart into.  Seamlessly weaving in historical facts, Lee transported me into Li-yan’s world spanning 20+ years. Li-yan is a strong character and I was sympathetic to her sorrows.  The only qualm I have with characters is the eventual shift to her daughter’s perspective, which I did not enjoy nearly as much.

Pacing: Definitely not fast-paced, more like an easy, lazy gait throughout. However, this in no way detracts from the story; rather it feels as if you glide through with something compelling you forward to keep reading.

Writing Style: Extremely immersive. Readers are taken in detail through the lives of the Akha people. Readers will be entrenched and captivated by the vivid cultural and spiritual values, even if you do not truly understand them.

Historical Fiction Characteristics:

•          Past events into a fictional series
•          Inclusion of historical events or people
•          Authentic and believable details
•          Well-researched
•         Accurate linguistic choices
•          Believability factors

Read-a-likes/ Similar Authors:

• The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
•  The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro & Daniel Kraus