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teampixie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment
moon_peach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Child death, Toxic friendship, and Pregnancy
cdace8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Infertility, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical content, Grief, Classism, Sexism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, and Racism
moriahleigh's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Child death, Pregnancy, Grief, Death, Racism, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Classism, and Animal death
Minor: Cancer
daniofthewood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Grief, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Murder, Ableism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Racism
Minor: Cancer
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" follows the life of Li-yan, a girl who lives in a remote village in China with her family. Li-yan's family pour all of their time and energy into growing and selling tea, but their lives have been difficult. One day a man shows up in a Jeep, and he wants to make them a deal to improve their lives, if they can help him produce tea. Told over years, "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" follows Li-yan as she rejects the life she came from and questions everything she was taught.
This book was incredibly written, and insightful about Chinese history in a way I have not read before. China's One Child Policy, as well as their attitude towards pregnancy, birth, and sex of their offspring is very different from the American views I have grown up with. I was fascinated to learn more about how childbirth is treated in China in a way that did not feel like I was being lectured about.
Li-yan is a strong protagonist, and a great character to read from. She was given opportunities to continue her education in ways that most people, especially woman, would not have had. It was great to not only see an intelligent and driven woman succeed academically, but to see her family support her in this dream. Li-yan's life was filled with hardship, but she embodied resilience and built a beautiful life for herself, even when she lost all hope.
This was a beautiful story that interweaves history and fiction seamlessly. Although I am not educated enough on the history of China to determine if the ideas presented in this novel are factually correct, the book felt well researched, and it felt real. The prose was eloquent and beautifully written, and it devastated me more than once.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to expand their reading with an incredible historical fiction.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Child death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Racism, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
mondovertigo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Pregnancy, Child death, Abandonment, Death, Misogyny, Animal death, and Grief
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Infertility and Cancer
allcavesin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was such a a rollercoaster of emotions, and I think I probably felt every single emotion over the course of the book. I learned a TON about the Akha people, a culture I didn't even know existed, and it was interesting to see the trauma that comes with adoption from both sides of the equation. This book isn't a romance, but has romance in it, and as someone who reads a lot of romance, it's really good romance. :)
I would recommend this book if you are interested in other cultures, or if you would like a book about international adoption. I would NOT rec mmend this book to people who find it hard to open their mind to aspects of other cultures that have values and practices much different to their own. You really have to put your head in a different space to read about some of the Akha practices, and if you struggle with themes of child/infant death, this book is not for you. There are fairly graphic childbirth scenes as well (I'm kind of a baby with that stuff though so take that with a grain of salt lol).
Graphic: Pregnancy and Child death
Moderate: Addiction
greedy_dahlia's review
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Addiction, Violence, Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Abandonment, Sexism, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
chhof002's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Child death and Racism
Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Abortion