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Chinese Cinderella: the true story of an unwanted daughter
Adeline Yen Mah
Call No.: Y English 979.40049510092 MAH (Click here for item availability) or Y English 951.05092 MAH (Click here for item availability)

“Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Ye Xian, who lived during the Tang dynasty in China. Her father had two wives and two daughters, one by each wife. Ye Xian’s mother died, followed by her father. Her stepmother maltreated her, showing preference for her own daughter…”

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Another parody of Cinderella, that clichéd-yet-classic fairytale that has warmed the hearts of many over centuries? True, the story does revolve around the parallels between Cinderella and the protagonist, but be warned, for this is no ordinary tale.

Chinese Cinderella is a vivid autobiography of Adeline Yen’s troubled childhood, set amidst late twentieth century China. While the time and setting differs, the rest of the real-life characters certainly bear an uncanny resemblance to their Chinese fairytale counterparts. Enter Niang, the evil Eurasian stepmother with a penchant for making Adeline’s already-miserable life a complete torture and embarrassment with her ridiculous rules. Attempts by Adeline to receive attention from her elders go unnoticed while her mischievous brothers set out to defame her flawless scholastic records by duping her into drinking a urine-laced orange juice concoction, among other things. She finds solace and justice in Aunt Baba’s comforting presence and later on, in writing fictional pieces. Niang’s cruel desires eventually fade into oblivion as her superstitious past is seemingly erased and her greatest wish of all came true.

- Contributed by Judy Goh

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