Lisa See
Author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
About the Author
Lisa See was born in Paris but grew up in Los Angeles, spending much of her time in Chinatown. She is of Chinese decent. Her first book, On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (1995), was a national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book. The book traces show more the journey of Lisa's great-grandfather, Fong See. Her first fiction novel, Flower Net (1997) was a national bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and on the Los Angeles Times Best Books List for 1997. Flower Net was also nominated for an Edgar award for best first novel. In addition to writing books, Ms. See was the Publishers Weekly West Coast Correspondent for 13 years. Her bestselling novels, all inspired by her Chinese heritage, include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, A Peony in Love, Shanghi Girls, Dreams of Joy and China Dolls. Among her awards and recognitions are the Organization of Chinese Americans Women's 2001 award as National Woman of the Year and the 2003 History Makers Award presented by the Chinese American Museum. See serves as a Los Angeles City Commissioner. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Lisa See collaborated with her mother Carolyn See and her mother's companion John Espey to write several novels, published under the pseudonym Monica Highland.
Image credit: Lisa See on Feb. 16, 2017
Series
Works by Lisa See
On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (1995) 970 copies, 24 reviews
Peony in Love {abridged} 1 copy
2005 1 copy
Associated Works
My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop (2012) — Contributor — 618 copies, 16 reviews
Half and Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural (1998) — Contributor — 153 copies, 1 review
What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most (2013) — Contributor — 106 copies, 19 reviews
A Taste of Murder: Diabolically Delicious Recipes from Contemporary Mystery Writers (1999) — Contributor — 48 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Kendall, Lisa See
- Other names
- Highland, Monica (pseudonym)
- Birthdate
- 1955-02-18
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Loyola Marymount University
- Occupations
- writer
novelist - Organizations
- El Pueblo de Los Angeles Monument Authority (Los Angeles City Commissioner)
- Awards and honors
- Organization of Chinese American Women (National Woman of the Year, 2001)
Chinese American Museum’s History Makers Award (2003) - Relationships
- See, Carolyn (mother)
- Short biography
- See www.lisasee.com/Bio.htmLisa See is an American writer and novelist. Her books include On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (1995), a detailed account of See's family history, and the novels Flower Net (1997), The Interior (1999), Dragon Bones (2003), Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2005), Peony in Love (2007) and Shanghai Girls (2009), which made it to the 2010 New York Times bestseller list. Both Shanghai Girls and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan received honorable mentions from the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature.
See's novel, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (2017), is a powerful story about circumstances, culture, and distance among the Akha people of Xishuangbanna, China. It paints an unforgettable portrait of a little known region and its people and celebrates the bond of family.
See's most recent novel, The Island of Sea Women, is a story about female friendship and family secrets on Jeju Island before, during and in the aftermath of the Korean War. It was released on March 5, 2019.
Flower Net, The Interior, and Dragon Bones make up the Red Princess mystery series. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love focus on the lives of Chinese women in the 19th and 17th centuries respectively. Shanghai Girls (2009) chronicles the lives of two sisters who come to Los Angeles in arranged marriages and face, among other things, the pressures put on Chinese-Americans during the anti-Communist mania of the 1950s. See completed a sequel titled Dreams of Joy, released in May 2011. China Dolls (June 2014) deals with Chinese American nightclub performers of the 1930s and 1940s.
Writing under the pen name Monica Highland, See, her mother Carolyn See, and John Espey, published two novels: Lotus Land (1983), 110 Shanghai Road (1986), and Greetings from Southern California (1988), a collection of early 20th Century postcards and commentary on the history they represent. She has a personal essay ("The Funeral Banquet") included in the anthology Half and Half.
See has donated her personal papers (1973–2001) to UCLA. During the 2012 Golden Dragon Chinese New Year Parade in Los Angeles Chinatown, See served as the Grand Marshal. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Paris, Île-de-France, France
- Places of residence
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Disambiguation notice
- Lisa See collaborated with her mother Carolyn See and her mother's companion John Espey to write several novels, published under the pseudonym Monica Highland.
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Discussions
On Gold Mountain, Lisa See in World Reading Circle (August 2013)
Reviews
I drink tea, cold in the summer and hot in the winter, but I never gave much thought to where it comes from other than whether it's a flavor I like. I have little to no idea about the lives of the people who grow, harvest, or sell the tea. Lisa See's most recent novel not only introduces one group of these people, the Akha minority in China, to readers, but also examines the ways in which their culture and their relationships are changing as the tea trade itself is changing.
Li-yan is a young show more Akha woman growing up in a remote mountain village in the Yunnan Province, bound by the long held beliefs and customs of her people. Li-yan's family has harvested Pu'er tea for generations, the women of the family carefully guarding the location of their prized "mother" tree from the men and all outsiders. Li-yan is caught straddling the past and the changing future where things like banishing those who bear twins will no longer hold sway over her culture. Falling in love, she commits the terrible sin of having a child out of wedlock, a sin punished by the death of the baby. Having no other choice, she gives her tiny daughter up for adoption even as she has almost immediate second thoughts. Her journey through life is not an easy one and the shadow of her missing daughter follows her always. An ocean away in America, Haley is the much loved, adopted Chinese daughter of an educated, white couple. She has forever wondered about her birth mother and why she was given up for adoption. Part of her identity is completely unknown, unknown except for the unusual pressed tea cake tucked into her baby blanket. It is her search for answers about her origins and about this tea that sets her on her own journey back to China.
This is a dual narrative weaving Li-yan and Haley's stories. Li-yan's tale takes up the bulk of the beginning (and in truth the whole novel) and is told in the first person while Haley's tale is told through the many documents others write about her during her childhood, doctor's notes, her mother's letters to family, Haley's own school work. Haley's story only becomes a traditional narrative at the end of the novel. Although Haley's search for self and the identity politics involved are important, Li-yan's life and the trials she overcomes are far more interesting to the reader, offering a history of minorities in China, a glimpse at an evolving minority culture, insight into all the levels of the tea industry, and the treatment and ultimate power of women. No reader will doubt where the novel is headed but the coincidences required to reach that point can be a little unbelievable. See does an amazing job with the culture of the Akha and with the quiet power and will of the women in this story. Haley's desire to know her own past is well done and believable and it's lovely to see her parents' support for her need for information. Those who like a goodly dose of history and anthropology with their fiction will definitely enjoy this story of mothers and daughters, identity, what is gained and what is lost through globalization, and the changing landscape of the tea world, culturally, economically, and ecologically.
A 2017 National Reading Group Month Great Group Read show less
Li-yan is a young show more Akha woman growing up in a remote mountain village in the Yunnan Province, bound by the long held beliefs and customs of her people. Li-yan's family has harvested Pu'er tea for generations, the women of the family carefully guarding the location of their prized "mother" tree from the men and all outsiders. Li-yan is caught straddling the past and the changing future where things like banishing those who bear twins will no longer hold sway over her culture. Falling in love, she commits the terrible sin of having a child out of wedlock, a sin punished by the death of the baby. Having no other choice, she gives her tiny daughter up for adoption even as she has almost immediate second thoughts. Her journey through life is not an easy one and the shadow of her missing daughter follows her always. An ocean away in America, Haley is the much loved, adopted Chinese daughter of an educated, white couple. She has forever wondered about her birth mother and why she was given up for adoption. Part of her identity is completely unknown, unknown except for the unusual pressed tea cake tucked into her baby blanket. It is her search for answers about her origins and about this tea that sets her on her own journey back to China.
This is a dual narrative weaving Li-yan and Haley's stories. Li-yan's tale takes up the bulk of the beginning (and in truth the whole novel) and is told in the first person while Haley's tale is told through the many documents others write about her during her childhood, doctor's notes, her mother's letters to family, Haley's own school work. Haley's story only becomes a traditional narrative at the end of the novel. Although Haley's search for self and the identity politics involved are important, Li-yan's life and the trials she overcomes are far more interesting to the reader, offering a history of minorities in China, a glimpse at an evolving minority culture, insight into all the levels of the tea industry, and the treatment and ultimate power of women. No reader will doubt where the novel is headed but the coincidences required to reach that point can be a little unbelievable. See does an amazing job with the culture of the Akha and with the quiet power and will of the women in this story. Haley's desire to know her own past is well done and believable and it's lovely to see her parents' support for her need for information. Those who like a goodly dose of history and anthropology with their fiction will definitely enjoy this story of mothers and daughters, identity, what is gained and what is lost through globalization, and the changing landscape of the tea world, culturally, economically, and ecologically.
A 2017 National Reading Group Month Great Group Read show less
One of the areas in which China Dolls shines is in the portrayal of female friendships. For, female friendships are messy. They are highly susceptible to jealousy and rivalry and fraught with the tension that occurs from balancing the healthy versus the unhealthy. Yet, these volatile relationships often last forever. Much as one never forgets one’s first love, a woman will never forget those key female friendships which help define who she is. In Grace, Helen, and Ruby, Ms. See highlights show more the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in female relationships. They are as close as sisters and yet have no problems betraying each other if it means achieving their goals. There is pettiness, love, guilt, and forgiveness – sometimes all in the same day. Theirs is a brilliant example of unpredictability and ultimate rewards that come from forging strong bonds with other women.
Because of the instability of such friendships, the three girls will test a reader’s loyalty and sympathy. They may be each other’s closest friends, but when it comes to achieving their objectives, no friendship stands in their way. In fact, in several instances, the girls deliberately set out to hurt one another either as retribution for previous grievances or merely as a stepping stone to their own desires. All of them are guilty of such backstabbing behaviors, which makes it difficult to find one character with whom to empathize. Yet all three have their own shameful secrets that contribute to the psychology of their friendship and ease some of the disappointment readers might feel at the damage each girl causes the other.
Another area of sheer vividness within China Dolls is the historical details throughout the novel. Ms. See shows so much more than the elements of the period. There is an attitude within the novel that complements the judgment, the pressure to succeed, the burden of assimilation, and the ugly discrimination around which the story builds. There is also the air of invincibility within the novel that befits the young heroines. Combined with the exquisite details of dress, slang, atmosphere, and attitudes, China Dolls is an excellent example of historical fiction.
China Dolls is the type of novel that will make readers rage with frustration at the ignorance and incivility with which past generations treated other cultures. That this injustice does not limit itself to Caucasians but spans all cultures is equally disturbing. The prejudices between those of Chinese origins and those of Japanese descent are uncomfortable to witness but not nearly as unpleasant as the racial epithets Ms. See uses to highlight the challenges the girls face when trying to entertain a mainly white audience. Her matter-of-fact presentation of the ethnic disparity of the era is particularly gripping after the war starts, and blatant bigotry becomes acceptable in the guise of patriotism. While the story is about three girls willing to brave a cruel world filled with cultural and gender bias in order to live their dreams is filled with intrigue, joy, disappointment, and courage, the secondary story of the prejudices against anyone of Asian descent is equally compelling. show less
Because of the instability of such friendships, the three girls will test a reader’s loyalty and sympathy. They may be each other’s closest friends, but when it comes to achieving their objectives, no friendship stands in their way. In fact, in several instances, the girls deliberately set out to hurt one another either as retribution for previous grievances or merely as a stepping stone to their own desires. All of them are guilty of such backstabbing behaviors, which makes it difficult to find one character with whom to empathize. Yet all three have their own shameful secrets that contribute to the psychology of their friendship and ease some of the disappointment readers might feel at the damage each girl causes the other.
Another area of sheer vividness within China Dolls is the historical details throughout the novel. Ms. See shows so much more than the elements of the period. There is an attitude within the novel that complements the judgment, the pressure to succeed, the burden of assimilation, and the ugly discrimination around which the story builds. There is also the air of invincibility within the novel that befits the young heroines. Combined with the exquisite details of dress, slang, atmosphere, and attitudes, China Dolls is an excellent example of historical fiction.
China Dolls is the type of novel that will make readers rage with frustration at the ignorance and incivility with which past generations treated other cultures. That this injustice does not limit itself to Caucasians but spans all cultures is equally disturbing. The prejudices between those of Chinese origins and those of Japanese descent are uncomfortable to witness but not nearly as unpleasant as the racial epithets Ms. See uses to highlight the challenges the girls face when trying to entertain a mainly white audience. Her matter-of-fact presentation of the ethnic disparity of the era is particularly gripping after the war starts, and blatant bigotry becomes acceptable in the guise of patriotism. While the story is about three girls willing to brave a cruel world filled with cultural and gender bias in order to live their dreams is filled with intrigue, joy, disappointment, and courage, the secondary story of the prejudices against anyone of Asian descent is equally compelling. show less
Lisa See completely transcends genre with her newest novel [Shanghai Girls].
Individual identity is a tricky thing. Are we the product of an ethnicity? A nation? A family? A sign of the Zodiac? A name? Can a collection of personal traits, from appearance to abilities, adequately define a person or direct their path in life?
From one angle, See’s novel is obviously a reduction of the Chinese experience, from the streets of Shanghai at its pinnacle as the Paris of Asia, to the Japanese show more invasion of China, to an immigration camp on Angel Island in Northern California, and, finally, to the spread of Communism and its shadow on Chinatown in 1950s Los Angeles. All of these places and events, as viewed by Pearl, the story’s narrator, are like prisms in a constantly shifting kaleidoscope, and with each twist she finds a new perspective on her place in the world.
With its colorful packaging and feminine title, some readers might pass over this novel, pigeonholing it as vapid chick lit. But [Shanghai Girls] is a rare novel, offering something for a wide range of readers. Like Margaret Atwood’s [The Handmaid’s Tale], [Shanghai Girls] manages true feminist values without overdosing on estrogen. See calmly tells Pearl’s story in the context of a broader, more complicated world, where women and men alike struggle to establish and maintain their identities.
5 bones!!!! show less
Individual identity is a tricky thing. Are we the product of an ethnicity? A nation? A family? A sign of the Zodiac? A name? Can a collection of personal traits, from appearance to abilities, adequately define a person or direct their path in life?
From one angle, See’s novel is obviously a reduction of the Chinese experience, from the streets of Shanghai at its pinnacle as the Paris of Asia, to the Japanese show more invasion of China, to an immigration camp on Angel Island in Northern California, and, finally, to the spread of Communism and its shadow on Chinatown in 1950s Los Angeles. All of these places and events, as viewed by Pearl, the story’s narrator, are like prisms in a constantly shifting kaleidoscope, and with each twist she finds a new perspective on her place in the world.
With its colorful packaging and feminine title, some readers might pass over this novel, pigeonholing it as vapid chick lit. But [Shanghai Girls] is a rare novel, offering something for a wide range of readers. Like Margaret Atwood’s [The Handmaid’s Tale], [Shanghai Girls] manages true feminist values without overdosing on estrogen. See calmly tells Pearl’s story in the context of a broader, more complicated world, where women and men alike struggle to establish and maintain their identities.
5 bones!!!! show less
I can always rely on author Lisa See to provide an interesting and engaging read and while The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane had a few flaws, it was a book that totally engrossed me. Although a little overly sentimental and relying on a huge coincidence to make her plot work, this story about a woman from the Akha tribe of China’s Yunnan province who becomes a tea entrepreneur while searching for the daughter that she had to give up for adoption was both a remarkable and immersive reading show more experience.
Lisa See is well known for how she explores various aspects of Chinese culture and traditions. Her research is extensive and her story telling is vivid. In this book she introduces us to an ethnic minority group in China who are governed by their beliefs in spirits, cleansing rituals, taboos and the dictates of village shamans. When Li-Yan discovers she is pregnant by her absent fiance, she has no choice but to hide the pregnancy, give birth in secret and with her mother’s help, place the child in an adoption centre. The child is adopted by an American couple and grows up in California as Haley. Li-Yan goes on to educate herself and, as her people are tea growers, she becomes a tea expert and eventually marries a wealthy Chinese businessman. But even with money and position behind her, finding her daughter is an impossible task. At the same time, Haley, now a grown young woman herself is also trying to find her birth mother with little success.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane celebrates the bonds of family, heritage and culture. I felt the plot suffered somewhat from the author’s extensive information on tea growing and producing as well as her research about the Akha people, but this was still a very satisfying read. show less
Lisa See is well known for how she explores various aspects of Chinese culture and traditions. Her research is extensive and her story telling is vivid. In this book she introduces us to an ethnic minority group in China who are governed by their beliefs in spirits, cleansing rituals, taboos and the dictates of village shamans. When Li-Yan discovers she is pregnant by her absent fiance, she has no choice but to hide the pregnancy, give birth in secret and with her mother’s help, place the child in an adoption centre. The child is adopted by an American couple and grows up in California as Haley. Li-Yan goes on to educate herself and, as her people are tea growers, she becomes a tea expert and eventually marries a wealthy Chinese businessman. But even with money and position behind her, finding her daughter is an impossible task. At the same time, Haley, now a grown young woman herself is also trying to find her birth mother with little success.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane celebrates the bonds of family, heritage and culture. I felt the plot suffered somewhat from the author’s extensive information on tea growing and producing as well as her research about the Akha people, but this was still a very satisfying read. show less
Lists
Allie's Wishlist (1)
AP Lit (1)
To Read (1)
Reading Globally (1)
Unread books (1)
Urban Fiction (1)
Sense of place (1)
Netgalley Reads (1)
A Novel Cure (1)
Female Author (2)
Asia (3)
. (1)
Great Audiobooks (1)
Women in War (1)
to get (1)
Women's Stories (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 20
- Also by
- 6
- Members
- 33,000
- Popularity
- #587
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 1,571
- ISBNs
- 452
- Languages
- 21
- Favorited
- 99
