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Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter | 
 enlarge | Author: Adeline Yen Mah
Publisher: Broadway
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $14.94 (100%)
New (75) Used (323) Collectible (4) from $0.01
Rating:  349 reviews
Sales Rank: 44201
Media: Paperback
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 0.8
ISBN: 0767903579
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.488951073092
EAN: 9780767903578
ASIN: 0767903579
Publication Date: April 6, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Used Condition - GOOD can be a well cared for Book (including Audio) that is in great condition to a Book that may show some signs of wear. GOOD Books may be marked; have some spine or page creases; exibit signs of aging or an ExLibrary copy. ** Possible marking on cover. 100% Satisfaction guaranteed on all purchases. Delivery is 7-14 days for standard mail. **
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Amazon.com Review
Snow White's stepmother looks like a pussycat compared to the monster under which Adeline Yen Mah suffered. The author's memoir of life in mainland China and--after the 1949 revolution--Hong Kong is a gruesome chronicle of nonstop emotional abuse from her wealthy father and his beautiful, cruel second wife. Chinese proverbs scattered throughout the text pithily covey the traditional world view that prompted Adeline's subservience. Had she not escaped to America, where she experienced a fulfilling medical career and a happy marriage, her story would be unbearable; instead, it's grimly fascinating: Falling Leaves is an Asian Mommie Dearest.
Product 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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 344 more reviews...
 Wrenching and well-written December 22, 2008
D. C. Carrad (Augusta, GA United States)
The author's story is compelling and vitally interesting. It conveys great insight into the Chinese character and family. A few low-star reviewers here just can't shake their Western mindset long enough to appreciate another culture's family dynamics or ways of coping with miserable childhoods. It is a miracle that the author survived sane enough to write this fascinating, tightly-controlled account of her life and her family's during one of China's most trying times. Splendid book; t=highly recommended.
keep a box of tissues near by December 9, 2008
Jenara Vandet (NY)
This is one of my favorite books.
You won't be able to put it down.
Highly recommended.
Stand Up! December 4, 2008
P. Clemons (Oregon; United States)
I did enjoy the book "Falling Leaves" and could, to a point, empathize with Adeline. But I must say I would have taken a much different line about Niang from the get-go. She had way too much control but that is only if you allow it. And her idiot brothers should have been paid back in full. But worse was Lydia's betrayal. All of them would have been dealt with immediately after I learned of their duplicity. Also, not looking at their father's will was NUTS! Take a hike, Niang! Get some backbone, kid, like I had to with my family.
Excellent Read! October 6, 2008
S. Brodzik (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
This book was amazing! It was so heartbreaking, but it is a great read. I had to read this book for my Sociology class and it definitely gives me a new perspective on family life.
Thanks Adeline Yen Mah!!!!
Wonderful Book July 3, 2008
C Wahlman (Merrillville, IN)
Although there are hundreds of reviews, I had to review this book because it had such an impact on me. I think this book is wonderful. It is a captivating story. I read it complete in one night, I just could not put it down!
Adeline is a beautiful story teller, with an exceptional eye for detail. Although I loved the book, there was a strange voice that would creep into the story. Almost as if there was a repressed part of herself that could not hide from this book: it is a young Adeline still hoping to be the apple of her father's eye; and for her family to appreciate, love and respect her.
It is a sad story that shocks readers with the inhumanity that families can inflict on one of their own. It is still beautiful and hopeful, even in its most miserable moments.
Highly recommend
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