Review: A Tea Reader

In a nutshell: “Essays by tea shop owners, published authors, academics, and ordinary tea lovers are joined by those written by historic notables like Rudyard Kipling, Louisa May Alcott, and Thomas Lipton as the book explores moments of reflection, travel, traditions, careers, and relationships.” (taken from the book’s promotional website)

Now this is the kind of book I’d have loved to put together but I’m just as happy reading this lovingly-curated collection of tea-related writings by Katrina Munichiello. It’s multicultural, spanning across a few hundred years and possesses plenty of heart and soul as these tea lovers share their intimate tea thoughts and memories.

Just some little bits of lines I’ve picked up along the way:

“Bi Luo Chun…referred to by its fragrance: Xia Zha Ren Xiang (Scary Fragrance). Like Halloween? I asked. Like awesome, the tea man answered.” – Babette Donaldson

“Tea flowers twice: once on the bush and once in our hearts.” – Frank Hadley Murphy

“In this day and age, loud and cluttered, a drop or two of quiet emptiness is forceful enough to make the average person weep. Nothing is needed more.” – Aaron Fisher

“…tea has also taught me that all of our moments, no matter how small, carry the potential for our own transformation. Within each cup I drink…I remember that my own life, once rolled tight, suddenly unfurled, bloomed, and became full of possibilities.” – Dheepa Maturi

It’s the perfect book to drink in with a cuppa tea.