Chinese Cinderella (A Puffin Book)

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This novel covers the category "book that teaches you about another culture other than your own" i think this is a good category to have on the board because it is good to acquire knowledge about other cultures. Here in NZ and in many other countries we have a variety of different cultures and there are many things we can experience and learn from each.

When the Japanese take over mainland China, her father disappears from their hometown of Tianjin for an extended period of time. Soon after, Niang and her older boy follow. The next couple of months are considered wonderful, since the children are under the care of their grandparents, Nai Nai and Ye Ye. However, Nai Nai's death leads to the return of her father and their move from Tianjin to Shanghai. There, her father has bought a large mansion where the entire family is supposed to live.

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The cruel stepmother and her daughter were never allowed to visit Ye Xian, and were forced to live in a cave until the day came when a rain of fiery stones killed them. Joseph is the father of Adeline and all of her siblings, referred to as "Father" throughout the novel. Affluent, intelligent, business savvy and ambitious, Father is seemingly ignorant of the feelings of others, particularly his children. Continually abandoning Adeline, ignoring the wishes of his own father, he appears to value only the opinion of his new wife Niang and an overwhelming drive to be materially successful.

That's how I feel about this book. The author paints a seethingly negative portrayl of her entire family. Ok, maybe this was true to some extent (though I have a VERY hard time believing that everyone in her life was THAT intentionally malicious). But I could not help but believe that if her other family members had the chance to speak and publish a book of their own, having both perspectives to the story would provide a much more accurate picutre.Mah, Adeline Yen (1998). Falling leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. New York: Wiley. pp.45–47. ISBN 978-0-585-36179-6. OCLC 47011622.