i just wanna clear one thing up... Chinese Cinderella is about her childhood. Falling Leaves has Chinese Cinderella in it as well as her life as an adult. Saying that this story is simply 'sad' isn't doing justice to Adeline really. Emotional suffering has to hurt, anytime and pain during anyone's childhood can scar anyone. Think about your own. They may be little things when you tell it to someone else, but in actual fact the experience could be more like a jagger twisting up your body into some pretzel. Ouch.
Although her story isn't particularly rare, it pulls on your strings a bit and gets the tears going (at times) as you absorb some of the pain she felt. Inevitably, her true experience would've done more to her than just made her cry. This book was once my favourite book, but if i read it again, i think it'll be slightly bland and the tears wont come around so easily. This book would certainly make a reader of 15 yrs old or younger cry easily.... but an adult probably won't feel it as intensely.
This book was good, but i felt that her English was a bit clunky. It didn't flow eloquently. It was like too direct... no room for imagination left for the reader. twas once my fav book, but now i'm moving on to Bryce Courtnay's "The Power of One". The similarity between the 2 is that they both capture the reader's heart by telling the time of when their only friend-an animal- dies with much injustice. Then again, how could one ever compare Courtney's wit and eloquence with Mah?