By Elena Pollack

Staff Writer

artsent.asp@gmail.com

March 31, 2015

The novel “Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter” is an autobiographical novel written by author Adeline Yen Mah. Originally printed in 1999, the novel has dealt with various themes of family, coming-of-age, and world history.

When Adeline and her four siblings were growing up during the Second World War, their mother dies of fever. Adeline, only have been born a few weeks ago, is considered bad luck. Their father then remarries a European woman, setting up the scene for a Cinderella-esce story. Their stepmother, termed ‘Niang’ meaning ‘mother’ in Chinese, is harsh on them and delegates them to using servants’ entry ways and sleeping in uncomfortably hot rooms. She dotes on her own children whilst she and Adeline’s father ignored her.

At one point, she sends Adeline to a boarding school and diverts all of her mail, leaving Adeline as the only student at the school over Christmas break, feeling alone and unloved. She struggles throughout her childhood to find love and acceptance in a family of superstition and material wealth. In return for the isolation her family put her through, Adeline excels in school and receives scholarships to medical schools in London.

With the support of her Aunt Baba and grandfather, who passes away when she is still in school, Adeline follows her dreams and studies in England, away from her unloving family. She later becomes an anesthesiologist, but she did not give up her passion for literature and writing, publishing “A Chinese Cinderella” as her autobiography. She also founded the Falling Leaves Foundation, which is dedicated to bridging the cultural gaps between the East and the West.

Adeline’s tale, while similar to Cinderella, takes a very drastically different turn. Instead of waiting for a Prince to save her, Adeline saves herself. She follows her dreams, works hard, and becomes the person she wanted to be all on her own merit and determination. If Adeline can rise above her situation and become all that she wanted to be, so can the rest of us.

The book teaches the lesson that we must remember who we are and where we want to be in five, ten, twenty years. Don’t wait around for someone to give you your dreams, go out there and chase them yourselves. Don’t wait for opportunity to come knocking, make opportunities yourselves.

This book is a great inspiration and very well written. The characters are developed and exciting, and the readers can feel the emotions Adeline experiences throughout the story. We feel her frustration with her parents and her unadulterated sorrow at the loss of her grandfather. Even more than that, we experience Chinese culture from a wealthy young school girl’s point of view, rather than that of a tourist or a scholar. We learn about the customs and societal expectations through a young girl’s eyes and we watch as she balances these expectations with her dreams as she becomes a young woman. The writing is accessible but not too easy, so it’s perfect for those of us who basically live out of our textbooks.

Learn from this, and take away more than just not waiting around for your life to get better. Learn to take risks, stand up for yourself, and dare to dream big. Once you have your dreams, make them become your reality.