Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction
Book Type: Paperback
R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on + 1438 more book reviews
A Chinese proverb describes the life of Adelline Yen Mah in this well written autobiography. "When leaves fall down they return to their roots".
Born in Tianjin, China, Adeline relates life from birth in 1937. She was the youngest of five children, three boys and two girls to her father and mother, his first wife. With the death of her mother, her father married a younger woman who became stepmother to the five children who gave birth to two children of her own. Niang, the cruel stepmother, dominates the story, deforming family life. Adeline's innocent and bewildered early life paves way for strange happenings as the story twists as she grows up. The family falls apart due to jealousies, betrayals and cold-heartedness forming factions fighting one another. Factions split again as power hunger and materialism replaces mistrust and devastating betrayal.
The book is difficult to put aside because one wants to discover is coming next. Fictional visions of family life disappear as premeditated cruelty to a family member emerges. Adeline's life and that of the immediate family is unbelievably deplorable. Life changes when at four years of age the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, invading China soon after. They remained until surrender with the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings. Troop withdrawal opened the country to civil war which the Communists won. At the age of twelve, things changed for her wealthy family and her father. Family members fled throughout the world.
The book ends with the close of the twentieth century when Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese by the British Government - July 1st 1997. Some readers may find it difficult to understand the cultural references. A very Chinese story, it's an intriguingly good one about a viciously dysfunctional family. For those who don't know Chinese culture, it's also a rather authentic look at the old hierarchy of family relationships.
Born in Tianjin, China, Adeline relates life from birth in 1937. She was the youngest of five children, three boys and two girls to her father and mother, his first wife. With the death of her mother, her father married a younger woman who became stepmother to the five children who gave birth to two children of her own. Niang, the cruel stepmother, dominates the story, deforming family life. Adeline's innocent and bewildered early life paves way for strange happenings as the story twists as she grows up. The family falls apart due to jealousies, betrayals and cold-heartedness forming factions fighting one another. Factions split again as power hunger and materialism replaces mistrust and devastating betrayal.
The book is difficult to put aside because one wants to discover is coming next. Fictional visions of family life disappear as premeditated cruelty to a family member emerges. Adeline's life and that of the immediate family is unbelievably deplorable. Life changes when at four years of age the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, invading China soon after. They remained until surrender with the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings. Troop withdrawal opened the country to civil war which the Communists won. At the age of twelve, things changed for her wealthy family and her father. Family members fled throughout the world.
The book ends with the close of the twentieth century when Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese by the British Government - July 1st 1997. Some readers may find it difficult to understand the cultural references. A very Chinese story, it's an intriguingly good one about a viciously dysfunctional family. For those who don't know Chinese culture, it's also a rather authentic look at the old hierarchy of family relationships.
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