Customer Reviews

Chinese Cinderella: The true story of an unwanted daughter

5 star:		(145)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Totally captivating,simply written.A study in bravery and strength of character of a sort unknown to me as a child.Despite the wealth of her Shanghai family Dr Mah vividly describes a life ofbeing ignored,routinely ill-treated almost constantly between the ages of four and fourteen.I kept asking how parents with any heart at all could treat a courageous small child so cruelly.(Forgetting to pick her up from school on her first day in first grade? Beating her until her nose bled because school friends came to her home?Not attending any of her school prize days?) I bought this book at Hong Kong airport last Monday and read it three times through between there and New York.I kept turning back to the haunting face of the eight year old Adeline on the paperback cover.I repeatedly found tears rolling down my cheeks not just out of pity but in appreciation of her strength and resillience.Many adult Americans would still be spending time with a psychotherapist and blaming their failures on this type of childhood.In Adeline Mah's case it gave her a strength and determination I must say I envy.She may still be suffering but I found this book inspirational.

Chinese Cinderella, by Adeline Yen Mah is a beautifully written, tragic, and moving true story of an unwanted daughter. Adeline Yen Mah tells the story of her bitter childhood in a touching and powerful way that makes you fall into the book and hang onto every word. The book takes place in China at the end of W.W.II and during the time when Communism is invading. Adeline's mother dies giving birth to her and her family blames her for the death of her mother. Her father then marries an evil, powerful, and rich, French-Chinese woman who despises Adeline from the day they meet. The stepmother takes away everything dear to her (including the only person who ever loved her) and greatly favors her siblings over her. She tries to disown Adeline from the family. Throughout the book little Adeline shows tremendous courage overcoming struggles and hardships from the age of four. I highly recommend this book because of its captivating emotional detail and because of its China's history is woven into the story and hidden between lines. I also recommend the book because of the horrible truth that the story is real. Adeline Yen Mah describes her feelings about her situation so vividly, that it is almost like you can see into this little child's mind and heart. I truly respect her ability to reopen a wound that is not yet healed and bring these memories to the surface, while trying to find words to express them to the reader. For, example, when her parents (her father and her stepmother) first took her away from her home in Tianjin to go to Shanghai without her Aunt Baba, little Adeline is terrified and lonely. She walks the miles to school and when she waits for someone to pick her up and no one comes, she realizes that no one is going to take care of her and that she will have to find her way in the world herself (at age 5). She describes her pang of hurt that no one cares about her enough to make sure that she home, and that no one in her family realizes that she is missing. Also, histories of China's struggles at that time make the story more brilliant. Her grandfather Ye Ye explains to her about the situation in China and she realizes how bad it is and begins to worry at such a young age (because there is no one to worry for her). The book includes history about China's position in W.W.II and Japanese occupation, its trying to become capitalists (like the U.S.) and its people's struggles when Communism invades. Though in my opinion this book has no flaws, less advanced readers may find it confusing and complicated. Because it is a true story of real people in China, each character has a Chinese name (which can become very confusing). To avoid this problem Adeline Yen Mah uses names such as Big Sister, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Sister, and Little Sister in replace of the characters real names. This may make the book difficult to follow, and therefor take the books captivating essence. This true tale of courage, loneliness, loyalty, love, and determination will not disappoint you.

I first read Adeline Yen Mah's book, Falling Leaves, and recognized Adeline Yen Mah's name when my sister gave me this book for Christmas.

Few children in the West can fully understand what it means to go without, particularly the love of parents. Even when there isn't much money to go around, most of the families in the US or Bermuda still have family that do the best they can to make sure each child knows that they are an important part of the family. In other cultures, this isn't always the case as superstition can lead to believing that a newborn child left behind when a mother dies in childbirth is cursed.

That was the case for Adeline. Her older siblings treated her brutily for "killing" their mother. Her step-mother wished she, and her full siblings, weren't around. And her father, her own father, didn't know her birthday, or could he even remember her real, Chinese name.

In spite of being abandoned and mentally, emotionally and physically abused, Adeline proved that even the youngest child can rise above adversity. She knew that she had a responsibility to at least herself to apply herself to her studies to make something of herself so that she wouldn't be forced getting married at a young age and never finishing school, like her older sister.

I encourage parents, especially mothers, to pick up a copy of this book for their children, especially their daughters. It will help children better understand the value of what they have and how to appreciate it so much more.

I read this book for a school book report--if the story is just the right amount of sadness, I love it, but this was downright depressing--yet somehow intriguing. I understand it's Adeline Yen Mah's story, she can't change it, but I feel like the terrible parts were extreme and the happy parts were somehow not. I admire Ms. Mah for her triumph, but I can't stand to think of everything she had to go through. I wouldn't recommend it for children younger than ten. However everyone's opinions are different, for example, my best friend loves a book I can't stand. Please don't decide whether or not to buy the book from this review--use the description. But in conclusion I have to say, congratulations to Ms. Mah for eventually succeeding.

Adeline Yen Mah's childhood was horrible, and she endured emotional abuse from her stepmother and siblings and neglect from her wealthy banker father. Even though she suffered through extraordinary pain from as far back as she could remember, she still did well in school, excelled in her studies and was popular with her classmates. Thanks to her Aunt Baba who cherished her and took care of her when her mother died of childbirth fever, and her grandfather who admired her and gave her encouragement to succeed, Adeline had the support and love and determination to rise above her circumstances. This book is inspiring for children to know that no matter what your environment, or the emotional hurts that others throw at you, you can rise above them by keeping yourself in school, and prove to everyone that you can succeed. Even though large sections of this book is sad and riddled with stories of abuse and neglect, the book at least ends happily. Adeline wins a writing contest that convinces her father to send her to England to study medicine.

An interesting historical note is that there is a story of a Chinese Cinderella that predates that of the Italian story by 1000 years. Perhaps Marco Polo brought this story back from China? Who knows?

In "Chinese Cinderella," Adeline Yen Mah has adapted the story of her loveless childhood for a younger audience. Without watering down the misery and the bitterness that she suffered at the hands of her vicious stepmother and her cruel father, she writes in a way that children can easily understand. Mah had few role models as a child, since her mother died shortly after she was born, and her stepmother loathed her. Only her Grandfather Ye Ye and her Aunt Baba showed her any affection at all. She was mercilessly abused by her parents and by her siblings. Fortunately, Adeline was an accomplished student, and she gained a feeling of self-worth from her scholastic accomplishments. Children who have felt lonely and unwanted can take heart from Adeline's story. She persisted in trying to make something of her life, in spite of her lonely and depressing childhood. For a more detailed story of Adeline Yen Mah's life, read "Falling Leaves," which is written for an adult audience. For children, "Chinese Cinderella" is a poignant and heartbreaking story of a young girl's courage and perseverance.

I loved the book and it reflects the life of Chinese girls very truely. If you know chinese, you'd feel funny, cute and familiar but a bit strange when you read her Chinese slangs transferred into english. Her childhood is miserable and her way of facing it, always hiding and dare not speak out, might not be approved, but its so common among chinese kids. All in all, i love this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. From the point I started reading this book I was compelled to reading it and would only hesitantly put it down. The book was easy to read and understand. I was always able to sympathize with the feelings that Adeline Yen Mah had as a child. I liked that the book was set in China and made me more familiar to Chinese history and life. It was fascinating how Adeline Yen Mah was able to write about her childhood without pitying herself for the bad incidents that happened in her life. I liked that as a child Adeline Yen Mah was always optimistic and positive about her future even though she went through very bad times. I wish the book would be longer and not end so abruptly. Because of reading this superb book I am almost certain that I will read her autobiography "Falling Leaves".

This is one of the best books I've ever read, while I wasn't very into it at the begining by time I got a quarter way through I was addicted, couldn't put the book down, even shoved down my dinner without taking my eyes off the page. Throughout the story the sad events brought tears to my eyes, to think people can be this cruel, but besides Adeline's constant struggle and abandonment she was so strong, there are no words to describe her! READ it, you'll be glad you did, it will change your life around in ways you never imagined.
*I'm sure this story would make a great movie!*

Adeline theoretically should have everything she wants in life- her father is very wealthy, she is able to attend prestigious college schools and afford an education, and she is extremely intelligent, remaining at the top of her class through the years of her youth. While she presents the fa?ade of having a happy family life, however, she is the despised child of a large family. Her mother passed away as a result of her birth, causing her father and four older siblings to blame her for their mother's death, considering her unlucky and barely a member of the family. When Adeline's father remarries, life continues to deteriorate- she, as well as the rest of her siblings, are scorned by their step-mother, who favors her own two children highly. Adeline struggles first to find acceptance in her family, and later to at least escape her family by putting her brilliant mind to work, immersing herself in her schoolwork so she will one day be able to support herself and her aunt, who is her only faithful friend.

Quote: "Please believe that one single positive dream is more important than a thousand negative realities."

A fantastic memoir! This book was really interesting and told two stories in one. First, the moving account of the relationship of Adeline with her siblings, step-siblings, father, step-mother, and other relatives, and second of the changes occurring in China in the middle of the twentieth century. This story is also fascinating because even while Adeline is concerned with her own mistreatment, she is aware of the fact that, in the midst of war and poverty, there are other children who are worse off than her- for instance, those being sold on the street so their family can afford food. The author, while she left China and now lives in California, is clearly very fond of her heritage- she carefully explains the Chinese numerical system, writing system, and the many names individuals have and the reason for the different names, and then calls upon the reader to think back on this information throughout the book (such as by giving her chapter numbers in both English and Chinese numbers). I recommend this book very highly.