Li-yan belongs to the Akha people, an ethnic minority living in a remote mountain village in Yunnan, China, where life centers on harvesting puer tea. When she gives birth to a daughter out of wedlock, tribal tradition dictates the infant be killed to avoid bringing a curse upon the community. Instead, Li-yan leaves the baby at an orphanage with a hidden tea cake as a token of her heritage. The narrative follows Li-yan’s evolution from a simple tea picker to a global businesswoman, contrasted against her daughter’s life as a Chinese adoptee raised in California.
Readers interested in the intersection of cultural anthropology and botanic history find a detailed look at the internal mechanics of Akha customs and the volatile global market for rare tea. The story provides a factual foundation for understanding how international adoption shapes personal identity and the biological drive to reconnect with one's ancestry. Anyone seeking to understand the specific hardships of rural Chinese mountain life and the transition into a modernized economy will gain a clear perspective on the cost of progress.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
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- Published
- 2017
- Language
- EN
