- Paperback
- Publisher: Broadway (1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0767903579
- ISBN-13: 978-0767903578
- Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 2 x 20.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 272 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (254 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #41,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
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.
From the Back Cover
"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
--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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First Sentence
At the age of three my grand aunt proclaimed her independence by categorically refusing to have her feet bound, resolutely tearing off the bandages as fast as they were applied. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
At the age of three my grand aunt proclaimed her independence by categorically refusing to have her feet bound, resolutely tearing off the bandages as fast as they were applied. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Falling Leaves: A Touching Autobiography,
By Eve Drucker (NJ) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Falling Leaves : The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter (Paperback)
Falling Leaves is the moving autobiography of Adeline Yen Mah, an empowered woman growing up in Twentieth Century China. Unlike most other Chinese families at the time, Adeline's was an affluent one led by an overpowering female, Adeline's stepmother. Growing up as a stepdaughter, Adeline was mistreated and unloved by nearly everyone in her family. Her successes were belittled and her failures were exaggerated. Adeline's story, however, is at times inspiring. Eventually she left China to study in England and moved to the United States where she started a family of her own. Though Adeline finally seemed to be living the life she deserved, her family back in China continued to plague her. In particular, her stepmother found a way to cause Adeline a great deal of pain even after her death. Adeline's poignant tale takes the reader on an incredible journey through her life that is likely to leave the reader with a renewed sense of appreciation of his or her own childhood. Many of Adeline's experiences reflect her Chinese upbringing, giving the reader a taste of Chinese society and culture, while many others transcend national borders. Readers from all countries will be able to relate to the family and personal relationship difficulties Adeline encountered. Falling Leaves is definitely worth the few hours it will take to read.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Moving and Provoking Story,
By Pat Wu (Paramus, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter (Hardcover)
Adeline Yen Mah's life story is told in her memoir, Falling Leaves. It is a riveting story about one woman's life within a family that did not want her. Born in to a wealthy family in China in the 1930's, Adeline's life should have been one of joy and prosperity however this was quickly shattered by the emergence of two tyrants, her stepmother and Chairman Mao. A great deal of the book is very disturbing. This book is filled with a great deal of intense imagery and recounts every horrifying moment of Adeline's life with vivid descriptions. This memoir could easily pass as a suspenseful drama novel with its powerful, cutting stories of family conflicts. This book is not only an interesting story but also a lesson in the history of China. Explanations of cultural aspects, such as Chinese words and religious rituals, are scattered throughout the book. One is capable of experiencing the rise of communism in China vicariously. Also portrayed are the raw feelings that lead to mass exodus of the social and economic elite as the nation was taken over.Adeline, throughout the book, was hopelessly devoted to finding a way to achieve acceptance from her father and her stepmother. She struggles and endures great hardship in an attempt to reach this goal. It is a moving quest that seems to reach heroic proportions; a quest worthy of Hercules or any other hero. She faces indomitable odds and is only sustained by her determination, courage, and willpower. Falling Leaves is not only a great story and wonderfully well written but also presents the reader with many deeply thought provoking questions about societal values and family relations.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Falling Leaves Book Review (2nd attempt),
By Jennifer Sung (Franklin Lakes, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Falling Leaves : The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter (Paperback)
Characterized by a painful and piercing approach, Adeline Yen Mah's Falling Leaves has the ability to capture the expressions of an unwanted Chinese daughter who grew up in a cruel and harsh family environment. Originally born in China, Adeline Yen Mah was born and raised in an affluent family with an ignorant father and a hateful Eurasian stepmother. Although Adeline ultimately acquires an education in England and marries to a loving husband in America, she realizes that she can never feel completely satisfied because of her yearning for love from her parents; "I was the ostracized outsider longing for acceptance; the ugly duckling hankering to return as the beautiful swan; the despised and unwanted Chinese daughter obsessed with my quest to make my parents proud of me on some level. Surely some day, if I tried hard enough to help them in dire need, they would love me." (210) Touching and heartfelt, this story reveals the hardships and struggles that the author faced before she could heal her scars of neglect and repression. Although this account may seem one-sided and biased of the brutality of her parents, Mah effectively delivers her message of the hurt and lack of acceptance. Using childhood stories about tram fare, boarding school, and eggs, Mah is able to use simple examples to convey her compelling testimony; "The breakfast egg, more than anything, divided us into two distinct and transparent groups: the loved ones and the unloved ones. Needless to say, I remained eggless throughout my tenure at Sacred Heart." (102) Falling Leaves truly demonstrates the powerful bonds and consequences of family relationships.
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