Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163340 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 240 pages

Customer Reviews

chinese cinderella
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

This book is a true account of Adeline Yen Mah’s childhood. When Adeline’s mother dies giving birth to her, the family consider Adeline bad luck. The only people that did not think that she was inferior were her Aunt Baba and her grandfather who helped her overcome her awful childhood.

The book starts off when Adeline is four and how her three older brothers and one older sister, tormented her. These matters were not helped when Adeline came top of her class for a whole term in a row. Adeline’s father re-marries and her stepmother abuses her. Adeline’s stepmother has two children and it is clear that she favours them over the rest of the children.

When Adeline grows up, she becomes extremely clever and very popular. Adeline, against her parents’ orders, goes to her best friends birthday party. As a result of this, she is sent to boarding school. While she is at boarding school her grandfather dies, a tragic moment in her life. Then the turning point for Adeline is when she enters a writing competition and wins first prize. Her father is impressed and grants Adeline’s wish, to go and study at university in England.

I relished reading this book because it was moving, and full of drama and suspense. The author tells the story in the first person. My favourite scene was when Adeline won the writing competition because the chances were not in her favour. My favourite character was Aunt Baba because she was persistent in helping Adeline whatever the circumstances.

Very Emotional
After being bought for me as a birthday present, I have now read this book soooooo many times, simply because it is very touching. It is the story of an unwanted child, who is rejected by her stepmother and mentally abused. To continue with this story, Falling Leaves, by the same author, is the full biography of her.
The book is simple, which is one of the reasons that it touches your heart. It will appeal to all ages, and is an ideal present, even if you don't read much.

The best book I have ever read!
Since buying Chinese Cinderella a year ago, I have read it three times! Adeline Yen Mah is an amazing writer who will reduce you to tears and laughter at her childhood story. After Adeline's birth, her mother died, and so her family believed her to be bad luck and discriminated against her all her life. It is a painful story, which is very touching and memorable and I would recommend it to the young and old. You can't help but symphasise with this spectacular woman and her story and for that reason it is impossible to put down.