Download PDF Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter, by Adeline Yen Mah
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Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter, by Adeline Yen Mah
Download PDF Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter, by Adeline Yen Mah
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Review
"I read for two nights, sleepless, my heart pierced by Adeline Yen Mah's account of her terrible childhood. Falling Leaves is a potent psychological drama pitting a stubborn little girl against the most merciless of adversaries and rivals: her own family. I am still haunted by Mah's memoir." —Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club"Painful and lovely, at once heartbreaking and heartening."—Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post"Brilliant, compelling, and unforgettable. A heartrending modern-day Cinderella story set against the turbulence of twentieth-century China. Autobiography at its best."—Nien Chang, author of Life and Death in Shanghai
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From the Inside Flap
Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and cultural upheaval. But wealth and position could not shield Adeline from a childhood of appalling emotional abuse at the hands of a cruel and manipulative Eurasian stepmother. Determined to survive through her enduring faith in family unity, Adeline struggled for independence as she moved from Hong Kong to England and eventually to the United States to become a physician and writer. A compelling, painful, and ultimately triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding. With a powerful voice that speaks of the harsh realities of growing up female in a family and society that kept girls in emotional chains, Falling Leaves is a work of heartfelt intimacy and a rare authentic portrait of twentieth-century China.
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Product details
Paperback: 278 pages
Publisher: Broadway Books (April 6, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780767903578
ISBN-13: 978-0767903578
ASIN: 0767903579
Product Dimensions:
5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.3 out of 5 stars
418 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#36,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
I was captivated by Adeline's life story and found it extremely painful to read about her childhood hardships. The unfairness of it all. It wasn't until I talked with a friend from another culture that I came to better understand that the child born to a mother who dies in childbirth is considered evil and consequently, certainly unwanted. Cruel to be sure, but the added cruelty was from a selfish, uncaring stepmother. Thank goodness for the kindness of her Auntie, who left Adeline with the courage, fortitude and wherewithal to make it through her difficult childhood. I kept thinking, "Adeline will grow up." That is what kept me reading on -- knowing that someday she would be an adult and free of the tyranny of her childhood. The compelling thing though, is that none of us, certainly not Adeline, is free from the forever hope of acceptance and approval. Even though one wonders why it is in the human nature to try so hard to gain that approval from someone so evil and mean spirited as her stepmother. It was gratifying to learn that the approval she so desperately needed was found in the end when reading her father's will.This is a compelling read, though difficult. How good to know that Adeline found a kindred spirit in her husband, Bob. What kind of mother was she? That question isn't answered in this book. I think the wounds go deep and certainly must have affected her ability to love and nurture her boys.This book touches every nerve in the human spirit. I highly recommend it.
Mainly set in 1940-50’s China, Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter is a personal account a women’s lifelong hardships stemming from an unloving family and traditional Chinese thinking. It’s an emotional read that provokes empathy over the sadness of Mah’s story but also inspires confidence because of her determination to succeed in life.Despite growing up in a very powerful and wealthy family due to her Father’s export business, Mah didn’t have as enjoyable of a childhood as one would think. Right from birth, She was looked at negatively in the household as her mother died giving birth to her. Mah explains her position in the family blatantly when saying, “I knew that I was the least-loved child because I was a girl and because my mother had died giving birth to me.†Her family's perception of her characterizes the beliefs of 20th century China well: women were subordinate to men because they could not be able to provide for a family financially due to limited social mobility, and killing your mother in childbirth meant you were bad luck. These conditions already gave her bad relations with most of her family. Her father ignored her because her existence embodied the loss of his significant other, and her siblings tormented her because she was the youngest of the five.After the death of her mother, Mah’s father decided to remarry to a half European, half Chinese women whom the kids would call Niang (mother). Due to European culture being valued as high class in Chinese society, Niang viewed herself as better than the rest of the family and was uncontested in dominating the household. In her attempt to unspoil and teach the children important values, Niang set very strict rules on the children and would verbally and physically abuse them as punishment. Adeline vividly describes an instance during her primary school days, where Niang vigorously slapped her until her face was “stained with a mixture of tears and bloody mucus†because a couple of friends came to her house as a surprise (Mah 69). Due to the manipulative character of Niang, there was no hope for Mah to have a normal childhood where she could enjoy being a kid and feel supported by her parents.Even without the backbone of great parenting, Mah still managed to ignore discouragement and make something of her life primarily due to one person that did love her: her Aunt Baba. Aunt Baba provided her Adeline with comfort and made encouraged to take pride in her abilities and accomplishments. Because of her aunt’s protection and guidance, Adeline gained confidence in her academic ability and realized that education was a ticket to freedom away from her misery brought on by the rest of her family; Education was used as her motivation for a better life. As a result of her excellent academics, Adeline was eventually able to attend medical residency in the United States and establish an enjoyable life there.Mah’s writing style is more simple than complex, as she narrated her story from her past perspectives. Her language truly conveyed the intensity of her emotions at the time of the events, which allowed me to visualize the scenes well and understand how she really felt. There were times in the novel where Niang’s cruel actions toward Adeline infuriated me so much, that I physically wanted to punch her square in the face. Overall, this story is a reminder that if one has a strong will, they can overcome life’s challenges. It’s a story of perseverance. Thus, I suggest you read this book if you’re looking for motivation within your own life. After having read the circumstances Mah had to deal with, I realized not everyone has equal opportunity or privileges. Now, I am extremely grateful for certain aspects of life and freedoms I have, that Mah did not have. Everyone has problems with his or her own life; however, my problems seemed like minor issues in comparison to Mah’s ones. I feel that anyone that reads this book can a learn a lesson about adversity and feel inspired to accomplish their desires.
I found this book very interesting, but I also wanted to hit her up side the head for letting her Father & StepMother (after she was an established doctor) order her around so much. And I couldn't believe she cared that much into her later life. She needed to get psychological help to overcome needing her parents approval. She had a family of her own & she should have been putting her focus on on own family - not her crummy parents. But I know adults who were abused as children & the only way the got over it was through therapy. Abused children have a hard time overcoming that kind of treatment. It is sad.
Although this book was difficult at times to read, the author did keep me fascinated with her story. She has an ease of writing that very much feels as if she is having a conversation with the reader, and the book just flows.The story is one that is ageless: a man marries a woman and they have several children (in this case 5). When the youngest is born, the woman dies from complications, and the man in his loneliness quickly finds another woman to marry. He concerns himself more with outward appearances than with character, and ends up with wife #2 who is controlling, domineering, and wishes she had been wife #1 instead of wife #2. She really doesn't care for the fact that her husband has 5 children from wife #1, but no matter. Since her husband is weak and does as she wishes, she can treat them as she likes. Which isn't pleasant.Adeline is the youngest of the 5 siblings and therefore the recipient of not only her stepmother's wrath, but most often her 4 siblings as well. Unlike some children, Adeline never seems to truly stand up for herself, and that might be her personality or it might be cultural. Whatever it is, it defines her.Some reviewers here think Adeline is "whiny", especially after she reaches adulthood. Perhaps. However, if anyone knows somebody who was treated as though they were unwanted and/or unloved as a child - and my mother was such a one - then they might very well see the same behavior Adeline portrays as an adult.I thought this book was fascinating and a terrific tale of the healing power of the human spirit. At times I just wished I could have reached through the pages of this book and snatched Adeline away to a safe place where she could be nutured and feel safe.
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