Chinese Cinderella (A Puffin Book)

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What I'm saying is if many Chinese people around Yen Mah's age knew English wel,l there would certainly be hundreds of books like this. Myabe even crueler. They would all be able to have the attention and sympathy which they longed for, just like Yen Mah. (and make lots of money...) Six weeks after the death of Nai Nai (Yen Mah's grandmother), in August 1943, Yen Mah and her full siblings joined them at the house afterward. [13] [14] Yan Shuzhen and Huang Qiong-Xian founded the now-defunct Shanghai Women's Commercial and Savings Bank in 1924. she’s smart, respected by her classmates and teachers, and in the end she gets sent to school in England, which at the time was a very rare privilege. (not to mention the fact that her father sends her there).

Falling Leaves was translated into Chinese for the Taiwan market. It was titled Luoyeguigen (T: 落葉歸根, S: 落叶归根, P: Luòyèguīgēn). Unlike other cases of memoirs, the novel was translated by the original writer. [21] Amy Lai (2007). "Two Translations of the Chinese Cinderella Story". In: Perspectives 15:1, pp. 49-56. DOI: 10.2167/pst004.0 Nai Nai is Adeline's paternal grandmother, the wife of Ye Ye. Born under a different dynasty, her feet were broken and bound as a child. This causes her constant pain and she "hobbles" instead of walking tall. In the few chapters where she's present, Nai Nai is portrayed as a sensible and strong woman, capable even with the handicap imposed on her. The traditional matriarch of the Yen family, the family structure falls apart with her death. Without her support, Ye Ye is no longer able to hold his position at the top of the chain, and Niang takes over the household. Nai Nai's death is a turning point in the novel, from a time of tranquil freedom to an oppressive atmosphere and a segregated home. Big Brother (Gregory)Mah, Adeline Yen (1998). Falling leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. New York: Wiley. p.1. ISBN 978-0-585-36179-6. OCLC 47011622. The next morning, the king goes into Ye Xian's house and asks her to come with him into his kingdom. Ye Xian then wears both her shoes, and appears in her beautiful sea-green gown. The stepmother and Jun-Li, however, insist that Ye Xian could not have clothes of that kind, for she is only their slave. The stepmother says that the finery is Jun-Li's, and that Ye Xian stole them. The king dismisses her lies, and invites Ye Xian to marry him and live in his palace. She accepts, but her cruel step-family is left with the worst possible fate: each other. The stepmother forces Jun-Li, who has lost all hope of marrying rich, into the same state of servitude that Ye Xian suffered for so many years. When Jun-Li promptly and bitterly rebels against her lot, it starts a violent quarrel, the result of which is a cave-in that buries both women and destroys their home. Meanwhile, the king takes Ye Xian's hand in marriage and makes her his queen. Ye Xian was the child of widowed Chief Wu, who lived in ancient China. When she was just a baby her father died from illness and she was left in the care of a foster mother. This woman despised Ye Xian, because she was prettier and kinder than her own daughter; so she mistreated her by assigning her the most unpleasant chores. Mah, Adeline Yen (2015). Chinese Cinderella. [London]: Puffin Books. p.28. ISBN 978-0-14-135941-0. OCLC 914452896. Ye Ye's relationship with his grandchildren is slight, except in the case of Adeline whom he views as "different." He supports her as best he can, telling Adeline that she has the talent to break out of her unfortunate cycle. In his later years, Ye Ye is visibly saddened by the state of his family and the behavior of his son. Aunt Baba

Yen Mah started attending kindergarten in 1941, aged 4. In her first week, she received a medal for topping her class. [11] I'll end this review with a passage from the preface of Chinese Cinderella, one that made me love the book right from the start: I don’t like, read autobiographies/biographies and the only reason I read this is that I didn’t realise it was one until I actually started the book. Because who actually reads the synopsis am I right? (just as a note, I normally do read synopses of books, this is just quarantine me continuing to be, I suppose, mega dumb). I suppose the reason as to why I have like read maybe one autobiography about 4 years ago, is that I generally read as a way of escapism because the real world is pretty damn miserable, which naturally means I need to read about world’s where things are even worse. Either way though, I didn’t mind this book and despite it being pretty short and almost sort of choppy, with the prose being pretty basic, I had a decent time. If you're reading this review, you've probably used reading and/or writing as an escape in some way in your life. Yen Mah's memoir is easy to identify with: not just for those who have suffered domestic abuse, but for those who love reading and writing, for those who have ever felt out of place, and for those who have grown up split between two cultures. There's a moving passage near the end of the book in which her grandfather tells her about the importance of learning Chinese, showing that Chinese Cinderella is more than just a see-through fairytale retelling.

The Beginning of Ye Xian's Story

This thin book is very emotionally uncontrollable; she wrote most of her depressing stories from the first chapter until the end and few not-quite-happy memories. This biography is not suitable for those people who have heart and eye problems; I suggest that you have to skip reading this book not to mention that this had a serious problem to childhood experiences. The oldest child in the Niang/Joseph Yen marriage, Franklin is raised in a different world than his stepsiblings even though they occupy the same house. Always having the most stylish haircuts and modern clothing, Franklin is afforded every amenity that is kept from the others. Franklin's character is not developed beyond his favored status, at least not until the malicious prank he attempts to pull on Ye Ye near the end of the latter's life. Although it is implied that he is spoiled, his cruelness only materializes through this event. Little Sister (Susan)

a b Mah, Adeline Yen (2015). Chinese Cinderella. London: Puffin Books. pp.248–251. ISBN 978-0-14-135941-0. OCLC 914452896. While playing with her friends at boarding school, Adeline is interrupted and taken home by her chauffeur to see her father. In his room ("The Holy of Holies"), she is informed that she has earned first place in the international playwriting competition. Delighted and surprised, Adeline gathers her courage to ask him for permission to study in England with her brothers in the field of literature and creative writing. Not surprisingly, her father immediately rejects her idea and sends her to a medical school that specialises in obstetrics. Nevertheless, Adeline is overjoyed to have the opportunity to study overseas, and agrees. Mah, Adeline Yen (2015). Chinese Cinderella. London: Puffin Books. p.6. ISBN 978-0-14-135941-0. OCLC 914452896. Beauchamp, Fay (2010). "Asian Origins of Cinderella: The Zhuang Storyteller of Guangxi" (PDF). Oral Tradition. 25 (2): 447–496. Mah, Adeline Yen (1998). Falling leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. New York: Wiley. pp.115–117. ISBN 978-0-585-36179-6. OCLC 47011622.In a way Adeline is like Cinderella is when she is a child she has a evil stepmother and siblings. he faces many challenges like when Cinderella gets her dress ripped up right before the ball. Adeline is like Cinderella at home when Adeline goes to school. When Adeline is with her stepmother it is like Cinderella with her stepmother. It is kind of like Cinderella so if you don’t mind a good story read this book.

This book is really great because it gives me a sense of sympathy for the author. I don't really know hoe to describe my feeling toward this book, but i know i feel sorry for her. When i was reading this book, it made me cried because of all the unhappy things that happened to the author. It must be really hurtful for a child that is without her parents' love and care. The family was wealthy but never spent money on Adeline if they could help it. She suffered emotional abuse and neglect and occasional physical abuse. School was her escape; she could be normal there with normal people.

Bibliography

In 1942, Yen Mah's father (Joseph) and stepmother (Jeanne) moved from Tianjin to Shanghai to a house along Avenue Joffre. Adeline's loneliness is exemplified in this quote from her time at St. Joseph's in Tianjin, far away from any family or friends. There is nothing like isolation, especially in cases this extreme. With no one looking for her and no one writing her letter, not even her Aunt Baba, Adeline feels as alone in the world as one can be. The will to keep going even after that shows the perseverance that this book promotes. This book is not as good as any biography book I read, but this book is very inspiring and consider that she implement education as a tool to succeed in life and trying to emphasize that expectation is not only give negative results but also positive. One thing that I observe from the book is that, she needed more attention to her parents and siblings. I'm not a psychologist but I think a child must grow needed high attention of the parents. At least, she succeeds in the end.