The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter: Falling Leaves

Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah

Date of Publication: April, 1999

Publisher:  Crown Publishing Group

Falling Leaves, written by Adeline Yen Mah, is a first person innocent eye story talking about her family history and the experience that she had to go through in the Yen family. Through time Adeline had to face the abuse of her family members, including her sibling, Niang, her stepmother, and her father. The life of the Yen's family has changed dramatically after moving to Shanghai. Adeline was enrolled as a boarder by Niang to the St. Joseph due to the bad influence she got from Aunt Baba. As time passes everyone starts getting older such as Ye Ye who soon developed diabetes and Adeline who has developed pneumonia.

After attending St. Joseph, Adeline soon head toward England in order to study abroad. During the times when Adeline was away, Niang announced to all the family member that their sister, Susan, was officially disowned. As time passes again, Adeline's father develops an illness and later on dies and Adeline gets married to a guy named, Bob, and had kids. When Adeline's father dies, Niang tried to prevent the family from reading his will. 2 years after the death of their father, Niang also gets sick and dies.

Quotes: "A desolation swept over me more intense than any I had ever know" (Mah 63).

Reaction: This quote tells the readers that Adeline would often feel devastated due to the abuse of her siblings and her stepmother, Niang. This quote describes her feelings when PLT, her ducking, was killed by Jack, their dog. This quote is important since it tells the treatment that Adeline receives from her father and how she always has to endure it. The author, Adeline, writes this novel though the eyes of a child and memories. Adeline might hae felt devastated since PLT was killed and there were so many other ducklings that they could have used in the house, but her siblings just had to use hers. In my opinion, I thought that it was too much abuse for Adeline to handle from her family members since she was only at a young age.