Are you or anyone you know going through a hard time? Adeline Yen Mah can understand; she is the author of Chinese Cinderella, a biography of her challenging childhood. Her story, though rough, is fit for all mature ages; a story about her past that people may feel they can relate to. As a biography their story is not meant to thrill but rather inspire the readers, to arouse feelings of pain, anger, maybe even vengeance. The point is not to act upon those feelings but to understand them and get out of them what you can so you grow as a person.
Chinese Cinderella begins with a little girl and a strangely brute family. Some members love her, some hate her, and some simply don’t understand her. Her story is dashing and strong at times filled with hardship for the author to overcome. The novel is like having a series of mini stories pieced together to form a grand picture of this person’s life.
Although the book generates an emotional response for some, the plot can be hard to understand for others. Adeline’s intention and possible motivations were, at times, questionable. For example how she acted or felt in response to her family and their decisions. The short stories of her life lack individual meaning and connection to the message. In the idea of her plot what was the purpose do these stories have according to the message she has constructed? Examples of these stories would include entire chapters such as Nai Nai’s bound feet, PLT, Class President, and Miserable Sunday, or small interjections like her interaction with her Aunt’s son. Also unclear, is her past understanding of her parents. For example the unanswered question of her knowledge as to why her father and stepmother disliked her, did she ever find out?
Even though Dr. Mah’s novel contains a few lingering questions, every book has their own. The story continues to be responsive, it gets you to think about your own conditions and perceptions of life. If you are not interested by now to read this book why did you read this report?