Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter (Laurel-Leaf Books)

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Chinese Cinderella is the perfect title for Adeline Yen Mah's compelling autobiography in which, like the fairy-tale maiden, her childhood was ruled by a cruel stepmother. "Fifth Younger Sister" or "Wu Mei," as Yen Mah was called, is only an infant when her father remarries after her mother's death. As the youngest of her five siblings, Wu Mei suffers the worst at the hands of her stepmother Niang. She is denied carfare, frequently forgotten at school at the end of the day, and whipped for daring to attend a classmate's birthday party against Niang's wishes. Her father even forgets the spelling of her name when filling out her school enrollment record. In her loneliness, Wu Mei turns to books for company: "I was alone with my beloved books. What bliss! To be left in peace with Cordelia, Regan, Gonoril, and Lear himself--characters more real than my family... What happiness! What comfort!" Even though Wu Mei is repeatedly moved up to grades above those of her peers, it is only when she wins an international play-writing contest in high school that her father finally takes notice and grants her wish to attend college in England. Despite her parent's heartbreaking neglect, she eventually becomes a doctor and realizes her dream of being a writer.

Teens, with their passionate convictions and strong sense of fair play, will be immediately enveloped in the gross injustice of Adeline Yen Mah's story. A complete glossary, historical notes on the state of Chinese society and politics during Yen Mah's childhood, and the legend of the original Chinese Cinderella round out this stirring testimony to the strength of human character and the power of education. (Ages 10 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

A riveting memoir of a girl's painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s.

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.

Following the success of the critically acclaimed adult bestseller Falling Leaves, this memoir is a moving telling of the classic Cinderella story, with Adeline Yen Mah providing her own courageous voice.

Customer Reviews:

Was it that bad?.......2007-07-24

This is a better written book than Falling Leaves, the author's first book. It detailed the childhood of the unwanted daughter with better mix of "good and bad" and less bitterness came through the book.

While I shared the pain of being rejected and unaccepted by her parents, the author should appreciate and be thankful of what she had....loving Grandparents, Aunt Baba and good education which was the foundation of her success.

Think about tens and thousands of unwanted daughters in China who are abandoned by their parents daily.....they don't know who their parents are and have no sightline of their basic needs. The chance of being sent to prestige schools and study oversea is nil...I bet those unwanted daughters will trade the author's place at a heartbeat.

I could not put it down.......2007-07-02

I simply could not put this book down. I was absorbed the entire time. A story of miraculous courage and triumph, it reminds its readers that the love of human relationships is essential in this life, for without it one does not have much. I am excited to order it as a classroom novel for my 7th grade reading class!!! It is truly worth one's time.

Chinese Cinderella.......2007-05-19

Have you ever felt like you were unwanted? Have you have felt hated like nobody likes or wants you? Well if you know this felling you would have close ties to this book. Also for the record Adeline Yen Mah has felt like that since she was born. So I haven't thought that it couldn't get worse because it really can get worse.
The book is a biography of her life while she was in China. The book covers most of her life but it is more of her childhood not her most recent life. It describes the sadness that Adeline has been through. It in the first chapter It says everyone hated her because three days after she was born her mother came down with a high fever and died two weeks after she was born. So she never got to now her real mother. Her father remarries and all his children didn't like her but they were forced to call her niang (which in Chinese means mother) which none of them think of her as their real mother they all didn't like her. Her stepmother always abused her and never liked her she only liked the kids that she had gave life to. So she always abused her younger and older siblings.
I actually could compare this book a little to my own life. I haven't felt as unwanted or as hated as she has. I also haven't been abused like she has. I haven't actually really been abused all that much. But I have felt unwanted before. I haven't been abused like had been I haven't ever been abused that much.
Over all I would give this book a 10 out of 10. It only has 200 pages altogether so it won't take you a very long time. It is a very good read. It would take you maybe a weekend or two to read it. That is why I gave it a 10 out of 10.
I would recommend this book to anyone but it would be more of an adult book. It has way too much sadness for a young child. Also if it for an adult one of them people that are always happy and peppy and think that nothing can ever happen too them. It will be a real eye opener because they will realize it could really happen to them. So then they won't be going around saying "my life can't get any worse".

Great book for a pre-teen.......2007-04-24

I picked up this book the other week for my 12-year-old daughter after browsing thru the bookstores for something outta the norm for her. I bought it solely on the back-cover synopsis -- mine being an only child and doted on for the most part. I kind of expected her to glance at the cover and half-heartedly browse thru it. I was so wrong! She read it in a few days! She's always been into books -- but of her own choosing: Harry Potter and/or Lemony Snickett, fantasies and the like. After she put it down each night, she would tell me a bit about what she just read. Believe me, she's NEVER done that before. She said it truly was a cinderella story, and wondered why no one would help the little girl more. She showed alot of empathy for Adeline as a child. What I think I'm trying to convey is that it is a book written to touch the soul of the young reader -- something the author succeeded so well at.

Amazing Efforts.......2007-03-29

I strongly recommend the book Chinese Cinderella to people who do not mind a book that might make them cry. This book was a page-turner because while reading it, you just have to find out what happens next. Anyone with a strong heart will enjoy this book because it is so amazing what this little girl went through. While reading this book, there were some parts I felt like I was about to break down and cry, but there were others where I wanted to meet Adeline Yen Mah and congratulate her for her amazing efforts.

Heritage of Chinese Civilization, The (2nd Edition)

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Heritage of Chinese Civilization, The (2nd Edition)
Albert M Craig
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0131346105

Book Description

For Introduction to Chinese History and Introduction to East Asia courses.

A clear and manageable single volume narrative covering all the major periods of Chinese history. The text is presented chronologically and features brief principle interpretations to provide an accessible introductory overview of an expansive subject area.

Teaching Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Heritage Language Students: Curriculum Needs, Materials, and Assessment (Esl & Applied Linguistics Professional)

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Teaching Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Heritage Language Students: Curriculum Needs, Materials, and Assessment (Esl & Applied Linguistics Professional)

Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805858784

Book Description

This book contributes to building the research knowledge that language teaching professionals need in developing curriculum for the large population of East Asian heritage students (including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, where speakers of East Asian languages are among the fastest growing populations. Heritage learners are defined as those who initially acquired certain levels of linguistic and cultural competence in a non-dominant language mainly through interaction with foreign-born parents and other family members at home. Heritage language instruction is currently a hot topic and is becoming a sub-discipline within the fields of foreign language education and applied linguistics. Special instruction for heritage language learners is on the rise, particularly in the U.S. and Canada. Providing theoretical and practical information about heritage-language instruction in terms of curriculum design, learner needs, materials development, and assessment procedures, the goal of this book is not only to promote research about heritage students in East Asian languages but also to improve the teaching of these students in various educational settings and all over the world, especially in English speaking countries. Teaching Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Heritage Language Students is intended as a primary text or reference for researchers, educators, and students in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment studies related to teaching bilingual and heritage students in general and East Asian heritage students in particular.

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Hapa Girl
self-centered drama
Fiction?
A compelling, unusual story
Wonderful Love Story of the Struggles of A Multi-Ethnic Family In Rural America

Hapa Girl: A Memoir
May-lee Chai
Manufacturer: Temple University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 159213615X

Book Description

In the mid-1960s, Winberg Chai, a young academic and the son of Chinese immigrants, married an Irish-American artist. In Hapa Girl ("hapa" is Hawaiian for "mixed") their daughter tells the story of this loving family as they moved from Southern California to New York to a South Dakota farm by the 1980s. In their new Midwestern home, the family finds itself the object of unwelcome attention, which swiftly escalates to violence. The Chais are suddenly socially isolated and barely able to cope with the tension that arises from daily incidents of racial animosity, including random acts of cruelty.

May-lee Chai's memoir ends in China, where she arrives just in time to witness a riot and demonstrations. Here she realizes that the rural Americans' "fears of change, of economic uncertainty, of racial anxiety, of the unknowable future compared to the known past were the same as China's. And I realized finally that it had not been my fault."

Customer Reviews:

Hapa Girl .......2007-10-11

I could not put this book down... it was alive and witty and just plain filled with love of this girls family her mother played a very inportant part in this girls life , maylee since has lost her mother to breast cancer . the story was so wonderful deplicting how a family with different racial backgrounds . Maylee is outspoken and make the book come alife to me . thanks you for the wonderful story of part of my family.. always aunt susan

self-centered drama.......2007-09-11

I am sure that Ms. Chai earned an A+ in creative writing class for her novel. I was in school with the author and her brother for a couple of years. In fact, I had my senior pictures taken at her mother's studio. She did a nice job and was a fun lady. I knew she was married to a Chinese man. I couldn't have cared less. It made no difference to me. I am sure that I speak for most of us in town. We had plenty going on in our own lives to get too worked up about someone elses ethnic background. There is no question that most of us were of European descent. With the Univ of SD in town, we were exposed to other cultures. It wasn't like we were the United Nations, but we were far from the 'dueling banjos' of "Deliverance." There are a few bad apples in our town-- like any town on the planet. It is certainly humbling to read of her experience in our town. The violence in the halls at school, locking all the doors to the school, attractive girls opting to get poor grades to date the cool guys, etc. Her creative juices got the best of her. Hopefully, this spiteful piece of half-truths/ fiction was therapeutic or lucrative for the author.

Fiction?.......2007-06-16

I grew up in the town depicted in Ms. Chai's book. Vermillion is NOT a town of racial bigotry. We are a typical midwestern town with typical midwestern people. I would caution the reader: This book is, at best, 98 percent fiction. Specifically, I feel I need to address the scene regarding the suicide of a young high school boy. The events regarding this incident are totally false. Yes, the young man commited suicide; this event was devastating for his family and friends. For Ms. Chai to portray a suicide based upon information she receieved from her mother (who wasn't even living in Vermillion at the time), is completely unprofessional.

If you want to explore the issue of racism and bigotry in the midwest, I suggest you look for another, more credible source.

A compelling, unusual story.......2007-06-13

I found Hapa Girl to be a compelling story told by an engaging writer. The book just flew by, to the point where I wished it were a little longer. I liked that she told her personal story in the context of her family's history and of American history. Although I've read books about biracial families, immigrants, and small-town racial bigotry before, this story is still unusual and fresh. While she is a talented story teller, my only criticism is that the memoir's narrative arc is inconsistent, and the emphasis seemed to shift throughout the book. I think a longer version to fill in some of the blanks would remedy that.

Wonderful Love Story of the Struggles of A Multi-Ethnic Family In Rural America.......2007-04-25

I really found Hapa Girl to be an extremely moving memoir. I related
to so many of the issues this book describes. And I entirely disagree
with the reviewer who said this was *bitter.* I thought the writing was
funny and uplifting despite the many sad episodes that the family had
to endure. Perhaps the reviewer has never had to personally face
prejudice. But if you've been judged by your appearance or faced
bigotry and violence, or even if you simply oppose bigotry, I think
this memoir will resonate with you! I thought the writing was wonderful
and will recommend this to my friends and family. This is a story about
love ultimately triumphing over evil!*

Another one of my favorite book from this author is The Girl from Purple Mountain: Love, Honor, War, and One Family's Journey from China to America

Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization

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Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization

Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520064410

Book Description

The thirteen essays in this volume, all by experts in the field of Chinese studies, reflect the diversity of approaches scholars follow in the study of China's past. Together they reveal the depth and vitality of Chinese civilization and demonstrate how an understanding of traditional China can enrich and broaden our own contemporary worldview.

Double Luck: Memoirs of a Chinese Orphan

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A magnificient memoir that must be read by all
What a story...
A story to help you rise above
Double Luck for the Readers
"Double Luck" is a must read!! Inspiring, yet bitter-sweet!

Double Luck: Memoirs of a Chinese Orphan
Chi Fa Lu , Becky White , and Lu Chi Fa
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0823415600

Book Description

Born in 1944, he found a way to make his dreams of freedom come true.

Customer Reviews:

A magnificient memoir that must be read by all.......2006-12-13

Growing up in Communist China was not easy, especially for Lu Chi Fa. "Double Luck" is a memoir throughout his days as an orphan in Communist China, moving around all his life. Chi Fa's parents died when he was very small, and he never had a real home when he was in China. Chi Fa's sister was the one of the two adults in his family who cared for him and his safety, but she could not have him stay at her house, and tried to give him to other family members. He would leave his temporary house after his temporary guardians were bored with him and was tossed around the family until he was sold to communists. His life was hard and grueling with guardians who beat him, harsh living conditions, near death moments, begging on the streets, and many more tearful stories. This is a remarkable story; every one should hear the tale of Lu Chi Fa.

Thinking that he would never have a real home to live in forever, he first learns of "America," the place where you "Eat three meals a day" and "are too full to complain." After hearing of this wondrous land, he envisions such a place and tries to find ways to get him closer to it. When he was living with his brother, he worked at a station for US soldiers to rest and retire. This gave him an understanding for the language and a happy feeling that he would soon live in this "amazing country." After back breaking and heart stopping moments, he finally sees his dream come true many years later. On each page the author would give, in great detail, a small portion of the story that put you right into the book. Each chapter was either one year or one day of his life, all teaching him methods on how to survive. And with each chapter came a sad ending as well. The way the author kept each story alive is remarkable, like he was there at each time and whispering what was happening while you were hiding in the shadows. This book is like no other.

I loved reading this memoir, it is above many other books I have read. "Double Luck" is a story that can not only entertain, but teach. This book must be the best story that anyone can read no matter how old you are. After you read each chapter, I cannot begin to tell you how thankful you feel. Thankful for the house you live in, the bed you sleep on, the food you eat, and the family who cares for you. I truly loved this book with each passing page and couldn't wait for what would happen next. I admired the way that the book described his stories in a way that put you right in the book. I also feel that it is necessary to tell about the plot itself. This book could never have a look alike, it is to unique and personal to copy. This is a book that gets you hooked in and is hard to put down. After all, growing up in Communist China could never be easy.

What a story..........2006-05-23

I could not put this book down.
It is written so well that you are literally transported to China.
A survival story not to be missed.

A story to help you rise above.......2005-09-29

Chi Fa is orphaned as a very young boy. Throughout his childhood, he goes from family to family many different times. He is abused and often goes hungry. He is not unkind, though, and is respectful of others. His problems do not affect how he treats others or lives his life. In the end, his dream comes true and he makes a good life for himself. This is a story of determination. It inspired me and made me realize that one can rise above tragic circumstances; dreams can come true. I recommend this book to anyone who needs some inspiration.

Double Luck for the Readers.......2005-05-02

Double Luck was an outstanding book that describes the troubles and dangers on the childhood of Lu Chi Fa as he tries to be free and escape from Communist China. Double Luck clearly describes the terrible childhood he had as he was a slave to Communists, beaten constantly from guardian to guardian,and face almost certain death. The true beauty of this book is that after all this happened and how little kindness he was shown he still looked back on his life and thanked every person he had met because it had taught him bravery and determination. Double Luck is truly a must read!

"Double Luck" is a must read!! Inspiring, yet bitter-sweet!.......2005-04-23

"Double Luck" is inspiring, informing, and most definitley enlightening! My 6th graders and I truely enjoyed Lu Chi Fa's voice and the writing style of Becky White. The journey back to Communist China was something my students knew very little about. Reading time was very sacred while we were reading this novel.

Lu Chi Fa's feelings of constant rejection were something that humbled us all. This book is a must read. It truly allows us to realize the hardships and tragedies of this Chinese Orphan. My students are at the very age Lu Chi is when he begins to support his entire family. The courage and perserverance Lu Chi demonstrates throughout the novel is inspiring. Kids and aduts of all ages will truly grow as human beings with this story.

It was most fortuante the way we found this story. Thank you for sharing and may "good luck" continue to be with you! Always!

Wendy Ragusa and the 6th grade class at Charlotte Wood Middle School in Danville, CA.

Vera Wang Queen of Fashion; Amazing Chinese American (Biographies of Amazing Asian Americans) (Biographies of Amazing Asian Americans)

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Vera Wang: Queen of Fashion

Vera Wang Queen of Fashion; Amazing Chinese American (Biographies of Amazing Asian Americans) (Biographies of Amazing Asian Americans)
Ai-Ling Louie
Manufacturer: Dragoneagle Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

ASIN: 0978746538
Release Date: 2007-04-02

Product Description

Imagine growing up like a princess. That's what Vera Wang's childhood was like. Vera Wang is now one of the top fashion designers. Women all over the world wear her bridal gowns and clothes. The little princess has transformed herself into a hardworking, successful businesswoman. This is a book about her life.

Customer Reviews:

Vera Wang: Queen of Fashion.......2007-06-13

I was delighted to receive "Vera Wang:Queen of Fashion" with the author's autograph. This is an intelligent children's book that, instead of talking down to children, inspires them with a remarkable (and true) story delivered with respect for its readers. Ms. Louie's writing is enthusiastic, fluid, descriptive and age-appropriate; the illustrations are perfect. This book encourages girls to believe in themselves and to work hard to achieve their dreams. A wonderful message for children of all ages and nationalities! I am looking forward to reading "Vera Wang" to my grandkids. Rona Sands, Teacher of the Handicapped

Good Fortune: My Journey to Gold Mountain

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With Li Every Step of the Way
A brave face on a horrific story.
Beautiful Jade

Good Fortune: My Journey to Gold Mountain
Li Keng Wong
Manufacturer: Peachtree Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1561453676

Book Description

In this dramatic memoir of early-twentieth century immigration, the author shares her family's difficult but ultimately triumphant journey from their small village in rural China, through detention and interrogation at Angel Island, to a new life in Oakland's Chinatown. THE YEAR IS 1933, and seven-year-old Li Keng's life is about to change forever. Her father has decided to bring his family from a small village in southern China to "Gold Mountain," the United States. California. Now Li Keng, Mama, and her two sisters will embark on a remarkable journey that will take them halfway around the world. Getting to America is not easy. The family travels by foot, by train, and by boat. Even more difficult is getting past America's strict anti-Chinese immigration laws. To do so, the family must keep secrets and offer well-rehearsed lies to American officials. The Gees are detained for processing along with other Asian immigrants at Angel Island, in San Francisco Bay. The conditions are harsh and uncertainty and fear hang in the air. Any misstep could mean deportation. Life in America during the Great Depression brings many exciting surprises as well as a few disappointments. Li Keng loves the American school she attends each day and she makes friends with other children in her neighborhood. Hunger, poverty, police raids, frequent moves, and the occasional sting of racism are a part of everyday life, but slowly Li Keng and her family find stability and a true home in "Gold Mountain." An author's note contains photos and an update on her family. The book contains information on Angel Island and its significance in history as well as an explanation of the Chinese Exclusion Act

Customer Reviews:

With Li Every Step of the Way.......2007-09-20

Good Fortune by Li Keng Wong is a great example of an autobiographical book. Li tells about her journey to "Gold Mountain" and the obstacles she faced as a Chinese girl in the United States.

Her journey begins when Li's father has arranged for her, Mama, and her two sisters to come join him in Gold Mountain. They agree and are sent on a remarkable adventure half-way across the world. When they reach their destination, Li and her family have to endure the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Great Depression. To survive, her dad has no choice but to open up an illegal lottery shop. If he keeps getting arrested, all of them could be sent back to China.

I liked this book because of the detail in every sentence. It really changed the way I thought about history in 1933. Once I started the book, I felt like I was with Li every step of the way.

Yin A.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

A brave face on a horrific story........2007-05-12

Li Keng Wong, Good Fortune: My Journey to Gold Mountain (Peachtree, 2006)

I have never been a big fan of the memoir, and with the recent market glut, chances are, when one picks up a random memoir, one will end up opening the window and summarily ejecting it, unless one needs to line one's birdcage or is short of toilet paper. That said, every once in a while you get lucky. And while I don't think anyone will ever confuse Good Fortune: My Journey to Gold Mountain with deathless literature, at least it won't get mixed up with deathly boring literature, either.

The majority of memoirs I've read recently have fed on the public's fascination with humiliation, of self and of others. And while Li Keng Wong went through some rather nasty stuff during the period of her childhood she relates here, she never gives into that tabloid sort of impulse. With that alone, she's already well ahead of the pack. It also helps somewhat that this is a book written for school-agers (I'd say middle school, or bright elementary school students); Ms. Wong gets down to brass tacks pretty quick, and then stays there, without any of the aimless meanderings one sees in recent works by, for example, Melissa P. (One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed) or Craig Thompson (Blankets). She's got a story to tell, and she tells it, and that's that. She also avoids the trap of overplaying her hand at any given time; this would be all too easy a thing to do, given that part of this memoir covers her stay in an interment camp courtesy of the Chinese Exclusion Act. But Ms. Wong writes of the stay in the detention camp as one more stopping place on the greater adventurous path her family took. I ended up a lot more fond of this book than I expected to be, and unhesitatingly recommend it. *** ½

Beautiful Jade.......2006-08-01

Good Fortune: My Journey to Gold Mountain is the autobiography of Li Keng Wong. Born in the village of Goon Do Hung, Li Keng has never known her father, Baba, since he is working in Gum Saan (aka United States "Gold Mountain"). Along with her older sister, Li Hong, and her younger sister, Lai Wah, Li Keng's life is one of pleasant simplicity and anticipation. The family is waiting for Baba to write a letter telling them that he's returning to bring them back to America. When the letter finally arrives, there is much preparation as the family prepares to pass their interrogation on Angel Island. Because of the strict laws, the family must lie convincingly to officials in order to enter the country. Li Keng and her family hope that America truly is a place with gold-paved streets, but will the new land bring hope or disappointment?

Li Keng's story covers a vast period of time. The first half of the book concentrates on the year before they come to America (1933), the second half of the book concentrates on the struggles, disappointments, and hopes once they arrive (1934-1941). The story is interesting, yet narrated unevenly. It is an honest portrayal of an immigration story--the hardships, poverty, etc. Still I would recommend this book as a good autobiography for younger readers in third to sixth grades.

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I. M. Pei (Asian-American Biographies)
Mary Englar , and I. M. Pei
Manufacturer: Raintree
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1410911292

Maya Lin (Asian Americans of Achievement)

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Maya Lin (Asian Americans of Achievement)
Tom Lashnits
Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0791092682

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