Chinese Cinderella:The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

Older Elementary/Young Adult Memoir;Multicultural Literature;Critical Literacy;Gender Roles

Adeline Yen Mah's memoir for older elementary/young adult readers is a beautifully written story of hope in the face of parental neglect, family abuse and relative abandonment, compounded by cultural superstitions towards a child whose mother has died, and the narcissism and colonial prejudices of her half-French stepmother. 

Adeline consistently demonstrates faith in the possibilities of connecting with the world outside her home, particularly through using her intelligence and the power of studying as a way to emerge from the invisibility she experiences with her father, step-mother and siblings. The siblings,who don't get the same fine clothes and food as their younger half-siblings with their stepmother,  attempt to form alliances in order to receive better treatment within the family, only to turn on one another. Not only is Adeline regarded as the cause of her mother's death and therefore someone unlucky, worthy of shunning, but her older siblings are also treated with less rights than their father's younger children with the beautiful young step-mother. Adeline regularly experiences being forgotten, even in wartime, when she is the last student in a boarding school to be rescued.

Readers may take hope in recognizing the potential for bonding that exists when children are unable to connect with parents. Her grandfather and Aunt Baba are loving, caring, nurturing adults in Adeline's family and  although they are likewise restricted by the powers of her father and stepmother and  deliberately separated from her, Adeline manages to connect with teachers and sometimes even make friends. Most significantly, she never loses faith in her own intelligence. Even when her wealthy father threatens to take her out of school and make her start supporting herself at fourteen, Adeline's great spirit prevails in a fashion that is thoroughly gratifying for the reader. By the end of this book, you will cheer for Adeline as she begins to make her way into the world. The title "Chinese Cinderella" threads through this book as a theme, but towards the end there is a powerful revelation that gives it larger meaning. I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished it! Even though I lost some sleep, I gained a great friend in Adeline. I hope to introduce to this book to many young adult readers.

Reviewed by Susan Kanga