Chinese Cinderella, the Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

Chinese Cinderella, the Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah  is a memoir of a little Chinese girl recounting her story from early childhood till the age of 14. Adeline Yen Meh was the youngest of her biological siblings whose mother died while she was giving birth to her. As a result, she has always been blamed for her mother’s death and regarded as a “bad luck”. Adeline grew up in a rich family that was controlled by her stepmother who always regarded her as “nothing” and who privileged her own children over Adeline and her siblings. Her father was careless and obeyed his wife’s orders and her siblings constantly bullied her. The story gives great information about Chinese culture and China’s history in 1940’s as it reveals the miserable life of an unwanted daughter who made her way through her dreams and ambitions; a girl who believed she was nothing and had nothing special but due to her courage and talent, she was able to achieve what seemed impossible. She was able to change her destiny from an arranged marriage to completing her studies in England and excelling in creative writing which used to be her refuge during her childhood that allowed her to escape from her hard reality.

Quotes:

“Please believe that one single positive dream is more important than a thousand negative realities.” 

“But you can vanquish the demons only when you yourself are convinced of your own worth.” 

“You may be right in believing that if you study hard, one day you might become fluent in English. But you will still look Chinese, and when people meet you, they’ll see a Chinese girl no matter how well you speak English. You’ll always be expected to know Chinese, and if you don’t, I’m afraid they will not respect you as much.” 

“Transcend your abuse and transform it into a source of courage, creativity and compassion.” 

“I read because I have to. It drives everything else from my mind. It lets me escape to find other world.”