by Lisa See
Published March 21 2017 by Scribner
Finished 4/13/2017
4.5 stars.
Lisa See has made me very happy. She can always be trusted to provide historical pieces that both entertain and inform the reader. So even though the only tea I care to drink is Arizona Zero Calorie Green with Ginseng, I now know more about making tea in China than I could ever imagine, and I loved reading about the ancient customs and superstitions of the mountain people known as the Akha. Li-Yan's Akha family spent their lives selling tea, her mother also using it for medicinal purposes and hoping to pass her skills on to her only daughter.
Li-Yan was forced to leave her firstborn daughter with an orphanage, from which the baby was later adopted by white Americans. Li-Yan was intent on making it as an educated tea seller, while always wondering about the baby she gave up. Although most pages are dedicated to Li-Yan's story, we also get to know the little girl as she matures into a young Chinese - American scholar, curious about her Chinese heritage and especially the tea cake that accompanied her into the orphanage as a baby.
I found many similarities between this book and Secret Daughter, which took place in India and America. I thought that one had a disappointing ending. This book, though... The last chapter is sure to tug at your heartstrings. A beautiful book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.
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