The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

A sweeping tale of the little-known Akha people of China and their culture of tea. Traditions and family ties are sacred in Li-yan’s far-flung town in the Yunnan province. When she has a baby out of wedlock, it is in secret. The child swaddled with a tea cake is left at an orphanage. The baby is adopted by a loving family in Pasadena and grows up as Hillary. Li-yan and the lives of her townsfolk are about to change dramatically with the arrival of a man seeking the rare tea they grow, which becomes a gold mine. Since Li-yan is educated and at the center of this change, her fortune takes a dramatic turn but she never forgets or stops longing for her daughter. Hillary also questions her heritage and yearns for her homeland. Their bond remains, and ultimately tea is what binds them as they seek answers.