Growing up in the 1940s in China, little Adeline had to live with the guilt that she was responsible for the death of her mother. Her father and siblings held little affection for her as she was regarded as a ‘bad luck’ when her mother died a few days after giving birth to her. Living in a lonely and painful environment, Adeline still had to bear her Niang’s (stepmother) cruelty and unfair treatment towards her and her siblings. While her step brothers enjoyed the affection of both her father and stepmother, and the luxury of Western clothing, Adeline and her siblings had to go through the frustration of being the “other” children in the household. This treatment even aggravated the contempt that Adeline’s siblings felt for her because they believed that Adeline sent away their mother by simply being born.

Vignettes of the author’s experiences as an unwanted daughter made the novel highly memorable and emotional. Adeline excelled in school and was praised by her classmates and teachers; but she was rarely appreciated at home. She finds solace in writing—a talent which in the end brought her an international award that somehow fulfilled her hope that one day her father will be proud of her accomplishments.

Adeline Yen Mah takes her readers to a journey back to her emotional childhood days, even providing a glimpse of Chinese culture and traditions. Although young Adeline was in some way not knowledgeable about the social events that happened during her childhood, the circumstances that surrounded her stories offer clues to the events in China during the 1940s.

Reading Chinese Cinderella was a breeze. The simple writing style of the author was appropriate as young adults could easily understand and relate to the stories of Adeline. I placed myself in the shoes of young Adeline and felt her sadness and her miserable yearning to be loved and accepted. She suffered a miserable ordeal, unceasingly hoping that her family somehow “sees” her as part of them. The Chinese culture has marked her as “bad luck”, making Adeline’s life almost inevitably cursed right from the moment she was born. One could just imagine her struggle of waking up everyday, and being ignored and neglected by her very own family. She was even sent to a boarding school in Tianjin at a perilous time when the Communists were taking power over China. While families of her classmates were taking their children off the school to safety, she was left alone in the company of nuns, while her family was safe and sound in Shanghai. Such heartbreaking experience was a clear indication of her ill-treatment as an unwanted child.

Her Aunt Baba was the only one who truly appreciated young Adeline. Her Aunt Baba encouraged her to study hard so that she can be successful in life one day despite her painful childhood. She was the only one who saw Adeline as an exceptional and bright little girl. However, Aunt Baba was truly not able to save Adeline from the cruelty and abuse she experienced from her Niang, her father, and her siblings. In the Chinese culture, unmarried women were not held in high esteem. Aunt Baba still had to comply with the male head of the house—Adeline’s father. This cultural disposition inhibited Aunt Baba from truly affecting real changes in the life of young Adeline. It is a lonely disposition to bear but Aunt Baba compromises by making Adeline somehow feel important and accepted around her.

Adeline’s childhood story allowed readers to make small glimpses of the cultural constancy, as well as cultural changes that took effect in China. She accounted how her Grandma Nai Nai’s tiny feet due to the footbinding tradition that was traced back to the Tang Dynasty. Adeline did not have to go through the same custom during her time, and her Grandmother would always remind her of this good fortune as bounded feet had caused her Grandmother agony and trouble in walking all her life. When Nai Nai died, a Chinese customary funeral was offered to her. The funeral represents the Chinese belief of after-life and other traditions in the death of a family member including: prayers by the Buddhist monks, dressing in white, the presence of a “chief mourner”, and the burning of cardboard furniture for Nai Nai’s needs in the next world, among others.

Another Chinese tradition that Adeline narrated in her story was the arranged marriage of her Big Sister—an experience that Adeline dreaded for herself. Her Big Sister was symbolic of the stereotypical Chinese women who were regarded as submissive and lacking the capabilities to make decisions by themselves. Adeline, as a young girl, was already an exception to this gender stereotype. She worked hard to excel in school to create a future for herself despite her painful life at home. Even when she was pushed around, she tried her best to focus on her academic achievements which she knew will bring her to places someday. Her Grandfather Ye Ye, apart from her Aunt Baba, was a source of encouragement also. He would always remind the young Adeline that she was “far from being a garbage”, and that she was “precious and special”. It was also her Grandfather who made her understand the uniqueness of Chinese calligraphy, as every Chinese character, he related, was special and profound on its own. It was also he who made Adeline appreciate the learning of Chinese language and embedded in her sense of nationalism:

You may be right in believing that if you study hard, one day you might become fluent in English. But you will still look Chinese, and when people meet you, they’ll see a Chinese girl no matter how well you speak English. You’ll always be expected to know Chinese, and you don’t, I’m afraid they will respect you as much (p. 151).

The historical consequences in China during the World War II were also reflected in the novel. Adeline accounted how her school adopted the process of “democracy” in their class voting elections. Her classmates believed in her leadership skills and so she was nominated as the class president. Other influences of Western civilization were also seen on how the Chinese changed their way of dressing. This was especially prominent in the novel during the wedding of her Big Sister where Adeline and her siblings were forced to wear old traditional robes, while her step brothers and Niang wore new sophisticated-looking Western clothes.

 At the end of the novel, the author even provided a historical note that accounted a description of China from 1842 (when China lost in the Opium War) until the time when Korean War ended. This note was helpful in making the readers even more relate to Chinese history, as they related to Adeline growing up in China.

It is true that Adeline went through a stormy childhood—loathed by her own family, sent away to boarding schools, moving from places to places (including HongKong which was still a British colony during her time), and perpetually struggling to feel love and affection. She was unwanted, and everyday  she felt unwanted. Despite her painful experiences, she emerges as a heroine on her own. She broke down every now and then, hating herself for her own misfortunes; yet, she held on to her young hopes and dreams. She continued to be the academic achiever that she was, and consequently became known as an accomplished writer.

At present, Adeline’s moving autobiography remains to be an inspiring tale told through the author’s gift of writing herself. She offers hope and courage to all young children who might be experiencing the same difficulties. Moreover, her story reflects her Chinese roots, and the history, cultures and traditions known to every Chinese. It provides valuable insights about what it was like growing up amidst wars and social revolutions, and how her young life was affected by these circumstances.

RECOMMENDATION

I would strongly recommend the book to anyone—not just to young adults—because I find Adeline’s story to be a classic all its own. It is a book to be appreciated by anyone from all ages. Her writing is simple to understand and her story remains relevant. The fact that she accounted Chinese history and cultures in her book makes the novel even more interesting and quite educational as well.

Poignant, highly memorable, and inspiring, Adeline’s compelling childhood memoir should not be missed. Once an unaccepted and lonely Chinese daughter, Adeline at present emerges as one of the accomplished writers of our time—never failing to go back to her roots, and still imbibed with that sense of nationalism that her Grandfather once reminded her about.

 Falling leaves return to their roots. – Chinese proverb