Lisa See is well-known for her painstakingly researched historical novels of the lives of women in China. For this book, See dives into the drama of a family in Yunnan, members of the Akha hill tribe. The villages in the area have the tending and processing of Pu'Er tea as a central activity in their lives and traditions. The flow of the novel centers upon the lives of two women; one, raised in the Akha village who goes outside to find her fortune and escape the tragedy of having to give up her daughter, and the other her daughter, who was adopted by American parents and struggles to reconcile her twin identities.
See's prowess as a fiction writer and dedicated researcher are unquestioned, and this novel delivers complex characters and cultural details that immerse the reader in the lives of others. Fortunately for tea enthusiasts, See includes a considerable amount of detail on the history of Pu'Er production in Yunnan, including the influence of modern tea markets on manufacturing processes; and rich descriptions of traditional tending, harvesting, and processing of tea on Yunnan's great tea mountains.
As someone trying to understand tea growing and processing, I was fascinated by the descriptions of tea trees versus tea bushes, the introduction of artificial fermentation, and the rise and fall and rise of Pu'Er's fortunes in the world markets. Aside from being a fun and compelling way to get your tea history and mechanics, "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" is also just a great story with relatable characters. Recommended for admirers of tea and historical fiction.
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