Customer Reviews

Falling Leaves - The True Story Of An Unwanted Chinese Daughter

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was a great memoir. It left me feeling angry at how some people treat children or other people for that matter! I'm thankful to live in a society that recognizes the value of women. Once again it shows that human nature wants approval from parents in all circumstances. This is a heart wrenching story that had some redeeming moments but the are few & far between.The book is well written and believable. A must read.

This was a story of triumph of a young chinese girl, Adeline Yen Mah, swallowed whole by the fate that left her with the cruelest face of humankind...her stepmother, Niang Yen. As a rose cannot grow without sun, light, and earth, nor could this girl have survived life w/out the endearing love from her Aunt Baba who encouraged and nurtured her despite inflictions from the Adeline's stepmother and father in doing so.

After reading this book I feel compelled to hug Adeline Yan Mah and tell her what a wonderful person she is.

After reading Mah's first book, I was eager to get my hands on this next memoir of her adult life. I was dissapointed at first though, because she does a very extensive review of her childhood, most of which was a summary of her first book. You don't actually have to read Chinese Cinderella before reading Falling Leaves. There were few details in the beginnging of this book that were added that weren't seen in the first. However, about two thirds of the way through the book, Mah finally talked strictly about her adult live, which included moving to California, and the ever-increasing problems with her family. As I learned about the further heart-breaks and abuse she still faced from her parents and siblings, even as an adult, I found myself hurting along with her. Just as when reading the first book, I was very moved. A slow start, but a strong finish for Falling Leaves.