Chinese Cinderella

By: Adeline Yen Mah

Narrated by: Adeline Yen Mah

A Chinese proverb says, "Falling leaves return to their roots."

In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries.

She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. 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. Read by the author.

©2012 Adeline Yen Mah (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

A heroic and inspiring story

“This book is dedicated to all unwanted children. I have always cherished this dream: of creating something unique and imperishable, so that the past should not fade away forever. I know one day I shall die and vanish into the void, but hope to preserve my memories through my writing. Perhaps others, who are also unwanted, may see them a hundred years from now, and be encouraged.” Adeline Yen Mah

Adeline’s story of growing up as the unwanted daughter in a large and multilayered family touched my heart in so many ways. Her story is one of courage, encouragement, resilience and true gritty determination to succeed despite all odds. It reminds us that although we may be unloved and unwanted by our own parents, there will be other significant people in our lives that we can learn from, be encouraged and inspired and valued by, while at the same time acknowledging the deep wound and lifelong pain such a rejection of belonging seers us with. Although in our lives as adults, we find our own people, our own path forwards, our own belonging, we continue to carry within ourselves the deep held fears that such childhood catastrophic rejection entails.
Adeline, in her own beautiful words uses wisdom and understanding to portray her journey. It is a journey of hope. Of inspiration. If optimism. Of survival.
I am truly grateful for the gift of this story, which she dedicated to all unwanted children. Thank you for brightening my mind with another candle of inspiration along my own journey as an adult survivor of being an unwanted child.

Chinese cinderella

This book is very sad but has an ok ending
I really enjoyed this book
It made me cry 😭
Sarah

Emotional Re-read

I read this back in middle school for English class once, if I recall correctly, but I used to hide in the library stacks too, so I might have come across it on my own. My younger self related in many ways, as I’m the other kind of Asian - Indian - and our cultures are similarly superstitious, misogynistic and damaging. Hearing it in the author’s own voice was heartbreaking - I choked up many times. The pain made us who we are, and while we might have grown and healed, the shadow of it never really leaves us.

Enchanting details

I have not read novels for a long time. I chanced upon this title in a school library and decided to download the audio version. The narrator brought the story alive with every details. I even teared in between chapters. I will definitely catch up with the other title, "Falling leaves".

Rediscovered my favourite childhood book

What an honour to get to listen to this profound story by the author herself. I read this book when I was 12 years old in boarding school. Getting to express emotions I didn't understand through her story gave me strength and resilience. Now listening to the book as an adult it brings back so many emotions. I am eternally greatful to Adeline Yen Mah for having shared such a difficult part of her past.