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apriljbeckler's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
zybes's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the Akha people and pu’er. I was surprised that the ending was entirely in Haley’s voice when most of the story is Li-yan’s. The title does refer to Haley, but I felt like I went on a crazy and harrowing journey with Li-yan and wanted her perspective through the end.
tinabean's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
jenna_troppman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
cdace8's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
If you want a book that will gut you and then slowly put you back together this is it. This book is heartbreaking yet beautiful and informational. It is a little slow at times but just a great read I got past that in most places. All of the women in this book are vastly different but have such a beautifully intertwined story. Definitely check trigger warnings as there are some extremely tough parts, especially early in the book.
Content Warnings
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
caliblues's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
mgriffsmith8's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
mitskacir's review
3.0
3.5 stars. This was an interesting read, but I wasn’t thrilled by it. Pros: learned about the Akha, a Chinese ethnic minority, that I knew nothing about (it seems like the author did her research, so I hope she painted an accurate picture); learned about Chinese tea culture; the story had good pacing; the story was about the power and resilience of women, and although it dipped its toes into the “I’m a unique woman who is bad at embroidery and likes to read” trope, it managed to be more than that. Cons: overall the writing was good, but characters talked in slightly unnatural ways in order to explain Akha culture and tea to the reader; See used alternate ways of telling us Haley’s story (emails, essays, transcripts from counseling sessions) and I didn’t hate it but wasn’t sure how much it really added to her story; the main character seemed unrealistically competent at adapting to mainstream modern life - I honestly think it would have been interesting to hear more about how she adapted and her opinions on the differences between her new life and her Akha upbringing.
hpachay's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5