Reader's Reviews
Adeline pours her heart and soul into her books
October 2004
Reviewer: Posted on AdelineYenMah.com website
"Chinese Cinderella" is the younger reader's
version of Adeline Yen Mah's autobiography "Falling Leaves"
and both versions are thoroughly worth reading. If however, you are
under fifteen, then "Chinese Cinderella" makes for
an easier read whilst still keeping the amazing experience of the author's
life intact. Told in first person narrative, "Chinese Cinderella"
recounts the author's extraordinary childhood as an unwanted daughter.
Adeline Yen/Wu Mei ("Fifth Younger Sister"),
never knew her mother, as she died soon after her birth. Because of
this, she was deemed unlucky, and all photos of her mother were destroyed.
Despite her wonderful academic talents which constantly keep her at
the top of the class, her family constantly ignored or tormented her
- she was bullied by her older brothers, spurned by her elder sister,
ignored by her father and beaten by her stepmother Niang. Yet for all
of this, each member of her family is presented as a real person, capable
of both good and evil, and Adeline records their rare moments of kindness
like they were precious gems. Her two sources of constant affection
was her aunt Baba, an unmarried woman dependant on Adeline's father
and stepmother for financial support, and her grandfather caught between
two worlds: the old traditions when a man his age wielded respect, and
the new mindset which saw him as a burden and the object of harmful
pranks by his grandson.
Adeline records her entire childhood, through several
schools and houses,
through the people she meets and one very special duckling pet - Precious
Little Treasure (or PLT for short) that she cares for. She records her
sister's wedding, her school friends, and her on-going quest for knowledge,
and most surreal of all, her time at a convent in Tianjin that slowly
empties, leaving her the only student left in the entire school. As
well as
this, Adeline explains the political upheaval and historical backdrop
of
her life in hindsight, something she obviously didn't understand as
a child.
Throughout the sad and often terrible story of her life,
Adeline's
narrative never once slips into whines or self-pity - everything is
presented in such a simple, matter of fact manner that we never feel
pity
for her - only profound sorrow and sympathy. Her determination and dignity
is amazing to behold, from her refusal to take money for the tram (even
though her elder siblings soon give in) to her diligent studies and
scholarship. Furthermore, she beautifully brings her childhood feelings
to
life; especially in regard to the deep sense of fear that all abused
children carry. Although older readers know that nothing truly harmful
would be allowed to happen to Adeline, the imagination and terror that
a
child's mind can invoke made me just as fearful of Niang as she was.
People
often believe that abused children are indignant and outspoken about
their
home troubles, but Adeline clearly shows us that this is almost never
the
case - she is ashamed and secretive of her home life, and unfortunately
the
desire to keep their troubles hidden from their friends is the fate
of most
such children.
The power of knowledge and perseverance is the theme at
the forefront of
this book: unlike the Western Cinderella who sat around crying for her
fairy godmother, the Chinese Cinderella Ye Xian worked for her good
fortune
and so does Adeline herself. It is humbling to read of a girl so desperate
for learning and education when we acquire it so easily but often don't
appreciate it. Adeline pours her heart and soul in her books, and often
reflects on her love of reading, with passages that any book-lover will
immediately understand, and any reluctant reader will hopefully take
into
account.
Never once does she appear for feel overly sorry for herself,
despite the unfair way in which she was treated. Rather than the cruel
pranks and physical harm she suffers, it is the smaller, more poignant
events that
come across as more tragic: people forgetting to pick her up from school,
letters being prevented from reaching her, her family neglecting to
tell her that her grandfather had died, the awful clothing she's forced
to wear, and most shocking of all, her father forgetting her name. The
fact that Adeline makes it through all of this to become a stable and
loving person is perhaps the biggest miracle of all. What a human being!
The book also contains a preface, an author's note on
the names and
languages used, a map of China, an historical note, some fascinating
photographs of the family members, and a dedication "to all unwanted
children." Everyone, boy or girl, young or old, should be made
to read this
book.
Readers Reviews
posted on Amazon.com
Powerful true tale of childhood abuse in post war Shanghai
September 14, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from New York
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 of being 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
