- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (5 Mar 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140265988
- ISBN-13: 978-0140265989
- Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 1.7 x 19.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
53,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9 in Books > Biography > Social & Health Issues > Cultural History > Chinese
- #36 in Books > Biography > Tragic Life Stories
Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The story of an unwanted Chinese daughter growing up during the Communist Revolution, blamed for her mother's death, ignored by her millionaire father and unwanted by her Eurasian step mother. A story of greed, hatred and jealousy; a domestic dramais played against the extraordinary political events in China and Hong Kong. Written with the emotional force of a novel but with a vividness drawn from a personal and political background. FALLING LEAVES has become a surprise bestseller all over the world.
About the Author
Adeline Yen Mah took studied at London Univesity and now lives in the USA.
''My Chinese Cinderella. Her father's stunningly beautiful new young wife makes Snow White's wicked stepmother look like Mary Poppins. A compelling story.' - The Mail.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was browsing the site and I came upon this book which I read about 2 years ago. As soon as I saw the title I felt that I really should write a review because it was such an emotional experience reading this book. The author takes us through the death of her mother soon after her birth (the child being deemed a token of bad luck in China), the effect this had on her family relations and also the effect her father's subsequent marriage had on the family. You will tear your hair out with frustration because you want Adeleine to seek revenge on the family that treated her so badly. But for me the most important message in this book lies in the fact that rather than seek revenge she instead channelled her energy into putting together this well written account of her life. This book is full of lessons and different people will extract different things from it. It is definitely worth a read though if only to get an insight into a wealthy, yet emotionally bereft family living in China in the latter half of the 20th century. I would also recommend "Watching the tree" by the same author which deals with a lot of the Chinese philosophies raised in this book.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Hi! My names Alice and I'm 13 years old.......i live in Suffolk in England and recently when I went camping with family friends I read Chinese Cinderella and was very moved. I wanted to know what happened to Adeline Yan Mai after she went to the English Collage and so read Falling Leaves it is an amazing,powerful book that is well worth a read. I promise you will never take your loving family for granted again after you've read the story of a struggle for an unwanted child. This book is the story of one very courageous woman.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've read both books 'Chinese Cinderella' and'Falling Leaves' by Adeline Yen Mah. Although I read Chinese history,especially from the period of the beginning of the Ching Dynasty until its vanquish at the hands of anti-Imperial forces with the coming into being of the Republic of China under Dr Sun Yat Sen,and then through to the period of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s until the beginning of economic reforms in the 1970s,I am always captivated by autobiographical accounts of the lives of individuals,usually members of what one would call the Chinese diaspora, like that of Adeline Yen Mah.Reason:They usually tell you of their hardended views when expressing lives in China under the Communists in the early years, and their changed views(like that of Adeline ) of China today.
It has also proven that a changed environment - from a troubled China to Hong Kong and to UK and USA - has not changed,at least in attitude and thoughts, or much of them,anyway, in the Chineseness of a Chinese,wherever he or she may be.Forget the reason.Look at the number of trips she made back to China to see Aunt Baba and sister Lydia.
Of course, the author has made Falling Leaves even more interesting by talking about herself and family members,especially her stepmother.Even being Communist does not mean you are not interested in a lot of wealth.Having a lot of personal wealth doesn't mean you're not interested in some more. There is a trait in individuals that cannot change wherever you may be.
Most of all, Adeline's English is so good and she can really tell a story well so that when you pick up her book it is a page-turner to the end.Which was my own experience when I read after dinner till 3 in the morning!
S C Chan
Kuching,Sarawak
Malaysia
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A "must-read" !
The book Falling Leaves is Adeline Yen Mah's autobiography-it is told in a "story" way. Falling Leaves is meant for older readers (13+), it has the same content as Chinese... Read more
Published 3 months ago by TanyaXYZ
Emotional And Brilliant
This true story will bring tears to your eyes as you are taken through a journey conveyed at the start through the eyes of a young Chinese girl who is looked on as being bad luck. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Miss P J Bourhill
beautiful but....
Exquisitely written and very moving though this is, one wonders whether airing dirty laundry in public is the answer. How must this hurt the remaining family members? Read more
Published 3 months ago by Maria Merryweather
Interesting but...
I went through very strange feelings reading this book. I almost felt angry against the author because even though i have read about her the culture (China) she seemed to just be... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mariar
Lacking in real emotion, but fascinating
I have read a couple of books on family hardship set in Asian society, which I found gripping and thoroughly enjoyable. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sarah
Captivating
I bought this for my daughter who thinks it,s just as good as chinese cinderella which was another book she found hard to put down.
Published 11 months ago by J. Mullett
Falling leaves
Have not finished the book yet - found it a little hard to get into. This has changed and the I am gripped, the story is a sad one and I am finding I am constantly fighting the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Nicky
great read!!!
this book is a really good read! difficult at times to read through some of this poor womans experiences of childhood,but all the same a great story of over coming emotional abuse.
Published 15 months ago by sho86
while reading this part of me wished i'd never started it....
as it brought back memories of my own childhood & stirred up emotions i felt at the time & sometimes still do. Read more
Published 19 months ago by shoequeen
Engaging and a quick read, but less moving than it might have been
Seeing so many 5-star reviews, I was hopeful of something of the quality of Wild Swans and was disappointed. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Fyfer
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