SPOILER ALERT! - To the guest reader, the following will reveal all sorts of plot details. If you wish to remain blissfully ignorant, leave now.
K'Lynn 5
She found the beginning interesting but had to set it aside for three weeks at after the deaths of the twins. If she had read it all at once she thinks she would have forgotten much of it. Had to rush toward the end in order to finish. Thought the first half was great. Loved Li-yan's childhood and her hope for the future but the book went downhill after Sanpa was killed by a tiger. Daughter Haley never seemed like a real character to her. The second half was Pollyanna meets Crazy Rich Asians. Haley finds her mom up in a tree? OMG! Book was 200 pages too long and she didn't care if mother and daughter were ever reunited and thought, 'Oh, Please!' when they were.
Becky 3.75 - 4
The 'no coincidence no story' theme was taken too far, though the book moved right along. Predicted that Xiang was Sean. Found this and much else contrived. The teen girls in group therapy drove her crazy. Didn't believe the emails with the doctors sharing information about their patients in such depth. Was annoyed with Li-yan's relationships with her friend Ci-teh, and Sanpa. All sorts of warning signs about him were ignored. Thought it was interesting to see the Akha culture adapt to modernity in such a short amount of time. The writing was often cheesy, though she admits this could have been her mood. It was an easy read, not terrible, but the coincidences were over the top.
Letitia - 7
Found this the perfect airplane read. She knew Haley was going to find her mom. Yes, it was cheesy but what's wrong with a happy ending? Liked hearing from the many different sources, though the group therapy session drove her crazy too. She was surprised when Ci-teh betrayed Li-yan. Letitia once vacationed in Thailand and they took a tour into the jungle. There she saw people smoking opium in an Ahkah-type village complete with huts on stilts and chickens and pigs underneath. The natives wore traditional costumes and had their pictures taken with the tourists, so all of this was very easy for her to picture. Yes, it was cheesy and predictable, but hey, Li-yan didn't kill her kid so she must be okay.
Miles 7.5
This type of book is not his style so he had low expectations. Miles used to work with a Vietnamese company based in LA founded by Vietnamese refugees who came to the States in the late 1970's. Their company eventually bought the company Miles worked for. The rags to riches time frame of the tea empire mirrored this. Miles didn't know anything about tea or indigenous Chinese cultures and thought that the author sewed all this together well. There were complications, especially with how the plot moved along. He learned a lot, so found that valuable. Would recommend to certain people. Miles has a nephew (named Miles) who was adopted from Korea. So Haley's storyline had a certain appeal to him and he found that it rang true.
Caroline 7
Thought she liked it until she heard K'Lynn. Found it interesting that when the book started it could have been hundreds of years ago, not 40. She also thought it was interesting that the culture encouraged teens to steal love in the forest or hang out in the flower room. She wondered where the parents of the forbidden twins went after they were banished. Caroline's grandpa was born in 1901 and died in 2005. He saw an amazing amount of change in a relatively short amount of time. How much more so the Ahkah? Caroline liked the group therapy session noting that they all felt such pressure to be successful. The ending happened too quickly. It was as if the deadline was approaching so the author wrapped it up. Overall she enjoyed the story having learned a lot and wanting to know more.
Maggie 6 - 5.5
Had no prior knowledge about any of it. Learned much about the Ahkah, China, and the one child policy. The role spirits and sacrifices all played in Ahkah life were beyond comprehension. Also found it interesting that sex before marriage was encouraged. Thinks that Sanpa expected Li-Yan to be his meal ticket. His death was a turning point in the story for her. The story went on and on about tea. She too liked the group therapy session as it brought up a lot of realities those kids must face trying to live with two different cultures and the fact that you don't look like your parents. Too many coincidences to take the story seriously, but loved the history and information.
Sandy 4.5
Thinks that coincidences in fiction are stupid and that none of these rang true. Sandy doesn't care how wine, cheese, tea, or pot is made. The author is very smart, but the book went on too long. When it was revealed that Xiang and Sean were one in the same she repeatedly hit her book in anger. Liked the stealing of love parts. Oh, but wait. You're stealing love and doing the intercourse on top of the tea? I'll have a Lipton, thank you. The crazy rituals were believable but laughable. Committing a taboo caused suffering for 9 generations? 'The machete has been tested and the rice has been cooked,' cracked her up. Thought SanPa was an okay guy. That was not his first pancake. Couldn't stand group therapy. Thought the book sucked. Didn't have any patience with it. Wouldn't recommend.
Pat 4
The beginning was engaging but eventually it felt like she was just going through the paces. Much of the writing was sappy when it didn't have to be. Said too much when a little would have done just fine and then would skip years of plot in the next chapter. There were parts where I enjoyed the storyline and characters, but overall there was too much crammed in and it felt like a long walk with the same view. This needed an editor.
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