Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter

Written by Adeline Yen Mah

Narrated by Felice Yeh

More than 800,000 copies in print!

 

From the author of critically acclaimed and bestselling memoir Falling Leaves, this is a poignant and moving true account of her childhood, growing up as an unloved daughter in 1940s China.

 

A Chinese proverb says, “Falling leaves return to their roots.” In her own courageous voice, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph in the face of despair. 

 

Adeline’s affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her, and life does not get any easier when her father remarries. Adeline and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled with gifts and attention. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for—the love and understanding of her family. Like the classic Cinderella story, this powerful memoir is a moving story of resilience and hope. 

 

A PW BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

AN ALA–YALSA BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS

 

"One of the most inspiring books I have ever read."—The Guardian

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781461805069

Adeline Yen Mah

Adeline Yen Mah was born in Shanghai, and then lived in Hong Kong. She went to university in London where she graduated as a physician. She now lives in California and London with her husband, Robert A Mah, and their two children.

Reviews for Chinese Cinderella

[Yolanda Contreras · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a nicely written book. I loved the main character, she made this book great.

[Sarah Bellum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I remember when I read this in ninth grade, I thought it was so good. Listening to it now, I not only love the narrator's soft, storytelling tone, but I've realized that I love the author's writing. The way she describes even the simplest things is so beautiful and she paints a picture in your mind like you're actually there in the story.

[Alisha Arce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book at 9 years old. Now 18, this is still one of the most inspirational and captivating stories I have ever indulged upon. An amazing and unique read designed to make your heart lurch.

[Nicole · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story. Listened to this book as it's part of my daughters high school summer reads. Needed to speed up narration.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

biographical nonfiction. A girl growing up in 40s-50s China eventually escapes from a family (evil stepmother) that purposefully neglects her.

[artdamnit_reads · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah was an odd read. The story was very depressing and extremely one sided and very focused on the narrator (the author). The story follows Adeline’s life from 4 years old to 14, throughout the story she is emotionally abused and suffers because she is the least favored out of 7 children.

and yet

she’s smart, respected by her classmates and teachers, and in the end she gets sent to school in England, which at the time was a very rare privilege. (not to mention the fact that her father sends her there).

Throughout the entire book we only see her point of view, her side of the story and almost no context whatsoever. During a time of war and hardship for China and the rest of the world, she is only focused on herself and how horrible life seems for her, and just glosses over major events as if they were unimportant. Throughout the whole book she never looks on the brightside of things…in fact even victories are defeats! It gets very depressing and I would not recommend this book.

Happy (please!) Readings!

<3

The Book Worm

[sheriawilkinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

This Memoir is about the early life of a young Chinese girl set in the 1940's to early 1950's. Although Adeline was born into a wealthy family, she was not treated fairly by her Stepmother and Father. She tells how her Mother died right after her birth making her a family outcast. Told with vivid details, raw emotions, including Chinese culture and History.

I was able to feel what she went through and relate to her personal struggles. Chinese Cinderella tells of one young girls yearning to be accepted and her (eventual) accomplishments despite her lack of parental love. I highly recommend to Y/A as well as Adult readers.

[shazjhb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. Amazing story about a young girls struggle

[mtlkch-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Couldn't get into it - stopped before I was halfway through.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Different. Maybe 2.5 stars. She wasn't made a scullery maid, as was the Cinderella of tradition - and she did have her Ye Ye and her Aunt Baba, alive and well - but she was truly unloved by her step-family. She didn't seem to have enough sympathy for maids and beggars. The book was enlightening as it took place mostly during WWII and immediately afterward, as China was becoming communist. I also learned quite a bit about the calligraphy and language. Overall, I dunno, I have mixed feelings.

[aryadeschain-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't even know how to begin this review. So what do we have here? A girl who, regardless of her bitter lifestyle, just kept on dreaming and fighting? It may sound cliché, but the resulting story that came out from this is actually pretty good (and sad). In a way, it was very motivational to read this book. Here we have the story of a kind, naïve and unlucky girl that was constantly mistreated by her older brothers and parents, having only her grandfather, her aunt and her books to comfort her. Caught in the middle of a tempestuous era of changes and being thrown from one school to another, she still managed to keep her strength to fight and to have dreams and ambitions. And since all this is seen by the eyes of a child, the book is easy to read. Adeline keeps words simple, yet there is a lot of meaning in every single chapter. This was definitely a touching, pleasant story.

[justablondemoment · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I admire the author for talking about a painful childhood I felt she repeated a lot of things. Keeping in mind that this book was in the juvenile section and, as such, that is the intended audience, I still felt the book was lacking emotion. It was almost reporter style as if it was about someone else. To me the worst feeling in the world has got to be the feeling of being unloved.Something I have never felt and strive to never ever have my own children feel. So sad there are many children in the world that DO feel this.

[thesunflwrpages · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book in High School and it made me cry all the way to the end.

[meacoleman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My teenage daughter recommended this book to me. What a page-turner! Adeline Yen Mah is a gifted storyteller. She tells her story of being unloved and unwanted by her father and stepmother, abused by her siblings, yet loved and encouraged by her aunt and grandfather. The encouragement that sustained her sustains her readers, giving us hope to continue reading until the end, that things will turn out OK. She is an amazing and inspiring woman! I also appreciated her descriptions of Chinese culture and language. She has made China a little less mysterious to me.

[ilya97 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Chinese Cinderella has to be the most emotional moral story i have ever read and may always be so. The life story of Adeline Yen Mah challenges the concept of love and honour to families and relatives, and the unendurable pain of a great lost when one barely has nothing left to cherish. This was the world before, how can you compare it today? I do not think i can tolerate such tragedy if i were in her shoes.

[theheathers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this during downtime at work. It took about 2 hours total, but man, I almost cried my eyes out at a few passages. Warning: This is a tear jerker, so don't read it in public!

[tlhelen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter, was a truly touching story. The story revolved around Adeline Yen Mah. When her mother died giving birth to her, everyone in the family turned their backs against her. Adeline lived through neglect,and hate. Her family had treated her as though she was a bad omen because of her mother's death. I think this book should be read by eveyone, old or young, because it really notifies everyone about child abuse. Adeline has written this book to let any children in the world who are abused or neglected, to feel that they are not alone.

[debbiemccauley-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Yen Jun-ling is born her mother dies soon after which sets the scene for her childhood. Her father, three brothers and sister all blame her for her mother's death. When her father remarries, he neglects the five children from his first marriage, and has two with his new wife. Yen's new stepmother treats her badly, and her story is one of neglect and loathing while she struggles to keep up the pretence that she comes from a normal, loving family. She is afflicted by anxiety and a feeling of impending doom. She has an outstanding academic record, and winning an essay competition eventually give her a way out of her family.

This autobiography is set against a background of life in Japanese-occupied China and the civil war between the communists and nationalists which followed Japan's defeat at the end of the Second World War. There are some wonderful insights into the old way of life in China which include the binding of Grandmother Nai Nai's feet, a custom in China for over a thousand years. Hearbreaking in places, this is a valuable story that is read by many teenagers that I know.

[lainabourgeois · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the chinese version of the classic fairy tale Cinderella. This would be a good option for children who want to look at a different version of the well known story of Cinderella. In this story Cinderella's name is Wu Mei and even though she is repeatedly moved up to grades above those of her peers, it is only when she wins an international play-writing contest in high school that her father finally takes notice and grants her wish to attend college in England. Despite her parent's heartbreaking neglect, she eventually becomes a doctor and realizes her dream of being a writer.

[jamiesque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chinese Cinderella is Adeline Yen Mah's memoir about growing up neglected and unwanted. While many elements of the tale are distinctly Chinese, Mah's emotional tale resonates with readers of any culture. By entitling her memoir Chinese Cinderella, from the very beginning she invites the reader to make connections between her life and that of Cinderella's. Yet, the Chinese cultural and historical elements make this story a unique one.
The book begins with a paragraph-long dedcation to all unwanted children worldwide. The following page, Contents, outlines the book with straightforward titles. Mah writes the chapter titles and numbers in English as well as Chinese. She includes Author's Note, which explains written Chinese. Finally, in the last section before the narrative of the memoir begins, there is a Preface that sheds some light onto the author's purpose for writing: "For those who were neglected and unloved as children, I have a particular message...please be convinced that each of you has within you something precious and unique." Her musings on strength in the face of adversity is followed by a practical, breif tutorial in Chinese names and number system. Mah does her best to prepare you emotionaly and cognitively for her tale.
The tale proceeds in a simple chronological manner. The wording and vocabulary she employs is concise and effective. Elements of the popular western Cinderella story are present: dead natural mother, evil stepmother, befriended by animals, favored step-siblings and diligence and optimism in the face of adversity. However, the similarities between the popular version of Cinderella and Mah's story are subtle, thus preventing the memoir from becoming a parody. Additionally, always in the background, is a changing China, adding texture, gravity and originality to the story.
There are a few pages of family photos included, as well as a couple of transcripts of letters and stories written by and to Mah. Also, after the end of the memoir, included are notes about the original Chinese Cinderella. Mah includes the actual tale of the Chinese Cinderella written in Chinese on the next page. In her explanation, Mah notes the abscence of punctution, the beauty of the characters, and how the books were physically made. Following this section is a Historical Note. The Historical Note is basically a review of all that was mentioned in the text, yet strained and isolated from the personal story. If I were to use this book in a class, I would have the students read all of the additional information, including the Historical Note and information about the original Chinese Cinderella, before reading the text itself. The addendums serve as excellent background-building, prereading exercises.

[amclellan0908 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Adeline Yen Mah paints a vivid, heart-breaking picture of her own childhood. With her mother dying a few days after her birth, Adeline was labeled "unlucky" by her family, and with the addition of her step-mother, Niang, Adeline and her older siblings find they are unwanted, too. After the passing of Adeline's grandmother, Niang assumes total control of the family, creating disparity between her own children, who are extremely spoiled, and her step-children, who are ignored at all costs. All of Adeline's personal triumphs--awards from school and being elected class president--are unnoticed by her father and stepmother. This memoir follows Adeline's journey as a student, beginning in a Shanghai kindergarten and concluding with her studies in Hong Kong, where her step-mother's cruelty almost cost Adeline her education. Spared being cut-off from the family by winning recognition from an international writing contest, Adeline's father, who ignores her for most of the novel, agrees to let her study in England as long as she follows his plans. Chapters are titled to follow a significant event of the chapter, and titles are listed in English as well as Chinese. The last chapter of the book is a letter from Adeline's aunt, the one person who showed her kindness as a child. One post chapter of the text traces the history of the Cinderella story, which was though to originate in Italy during the 17th century, but based on evidence offered by Mah, a Chinese version predates the Italian one by nearly 800 years. A historical note provides a 2-page summary of the Chinese revolution, and the text ends with an author's post-script, where Yen briefly summarizes her adult life and promotes a memoir of her adult life which follows her being written out of her father's will by her step-mother.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This sad story of a Chinese Cinderella is based on the life of the author, Adeline Yen Mah. As her mother died giving birth to her, she was considered a bad luck child, but when her father remarried, her life took a turn for the worse. As her stepmother gives birth to both a son and a daughter, the children of the first marriage are in turn mistreated and ignored.

The abuse that these children suffer is appalling, all the more so, as their father stands by and lets it happen, in fact, he even seems to encourage them to be pitted against each other. At first the grandmother is alive and exerts a slightly controlling influence over this uncaring stepmother, but upon her death, stepmother appears to be in full control. Even the Grandfather suffers and lives in fear. Adeline seems to come in for the worse of treatment due both to her position in the family and the fact that she is considered a worthless girl. Shunted from boarding school to boarding school, Adeline makes the most of her time and finds refuge in education. Using this education she finds a way to escape and create a new life for herself.

Aimed at a YA audience, the book is interesting not just for the sad story it tells, but it’s historic references and linguistics as well. As an adult, I would have like a more in-depth look at these strange parents and, in particular, why the father allowed this woman such control over the life of his family, but overall this was a well-written, simple account of how it feels to be an unloved child.

[grnpickle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Adeline Yen wrote such a heartwrenching tale of her childhood. As I read it, I wanted her to overcome and have something great come her way. I loved her Aunt Baba and relished the small bits of love she gave Adeline. I felt sorry for Adeline yet proud of her at the same time. This was a great tale to tell and I can't wait to read other books by this author.

[imsuebusy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this autobiography, author Adeline Yen Mah tells the story of her painful childhood in China where she lived until the age of fourteen with her father, stepmother, and siblings, all of whom considered her bad luck because her mother died shortly after giving birth to her.

I love to read about other people's interesting lives. This story was one that made me thankful I grew up where and when I did, with my parents! Mah writes about her home, schooling, parents, siblings, and all the misery they cause her. It is so great to find out how wonderfully her life turns out in the end after so much suffering! (It is just like Cinderella!)

[emilyl31395 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book touched my heart so much. I tried as much as I could to imagine being in her place. I cried when the duck died, I hated the stepmother for slapping her. I kept on thinking why didn't she do anything? I wouldn't have been able to keep quiet and obedient like she was. Also this book kept on making me think what would have happened if things turned out differently?
This book made me see how lucky I was for having a loving family-my mom, dad and my sometimes annoying sister.

[sabrinacate · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A story of Adeline Yen Mah. When her mother dies giving birth to her, she is considered bad luck in her family. Her family made her feel uncomfortable and unwanted. This true story of her struggle for acceptance and her overcoming the odds to prove her worth is depressing, but worth reading as a life lesson.

[izzyx2397 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was so sad! I couldn't stop reading after I picked it up. It really makes you think about how lucky you are to have a family that doesn't neglect you. Overall this book was really good.

[venqat65 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book that I was unable to put down. This story captivated me. The ending, however, left me hanging and now I am desperate to read Falling Leaves which supposedly fills in the rest of the story.
I loved the information about the Chinese language and the examples of written Chinese (and their meanings). This was absolutely fascinating.
I was appalled at how young Adeline was treated and how even her father did not love her. How can a father forget his own child's name and birthday? Absolutely appalling.
The book definitely brought out a lot of emotion in me.
Poor sweet girl.....

[creighley_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I don't doubt the sincerity of the tail, I enjoyed McCourt's style of narrative in Angela's Ashes.

[sapphire99stars · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very unfair life lived by this character. Pretty interesting, made me think and want to discuss it. There are a lot of comparisons between Cinderella and the main character Adeline. Reading this peaks my interest in her autobiography Falling Leaves.