Friday Finds: Author Adeline Yen Mah

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

I found this first title at MarjoleinBookBlog. I was so intrigued, I had to find out more about Adeline Yen Mah. She has a very interesting website you can visit by clicking here. I like that some of these books are geared toward young adults, so parent and child can explore this author's work together.

Also, if you are participating in the recently launched China Challenge hosted by Jennie at Biblio File, you might want to consider one or two of these titles.

FALLING LEAVES: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughterby Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: Bantam Books
Pub. Date: April 1999
ISBN-13: 9780767903578
Sales Rank: 17,093
304pp
Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and cultural upheaval. But wealth and position could not shield Adeline from a childhood of appalling emotional abuse at the hands of a cruel and manipulative Eurasian stepmother. Determined to survive through her enduring faith in family unity, Adeline struggled for independence as she moved from Hong Kong to England and eventually to the United States to become a physician and writer. A compelling, painful, and ultimately triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding. With a powerful voice that speaks of the harsh realities of growing up female in a family and society that kept girls in emotional chains, Falling Leaves is a work of heartfelt intimacy and a rare authentic portrait of twentieth-century China.

CHINESE CINDERELLA
by Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub. Date: March 2001
ISBN-13: 9780440228653
Sales Rank: 4,533
Age Range: Young Adult
224pp

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): A riveting memoir of a girl's painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s. A Chinese proverb says, "Falling leaves return to their roots." In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for — the love and understanding of her family. Following the success of the critically acclaimed adult bestseller Falling Leaves, this memoir is a moving telling of the classic Cinderella story, with Adeline Yen Mah providing her own courageous voice.
CHINESE CINDERELLA and THE SECRET DRAGON SOCIETYby Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: November 2006
ISBN-13: 9780060567361
Sales Rank: 74,633
Age Range: 12 and up256pp
Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble):" The future belongs to you. Should anyone insult you, tell yourself this: I am a child of destiny who will unite East and West and change the world."

After enduring abuse at the hands of her cruel stepmother, Chinese Cinderella (CC) seeks refuge at a martial-arts school and joins a secret dragon society.

Under the guidance of Grandma Wu, CC is introduced to the exciting world of espionage as a part of the Chinese Resistance movement. And when CC and her new comrades take on a daring mission to rescue a crew of WWII American airmen, they prove that true bravery knows no age barrier

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CHINA: Land of Dragons and Emporers
by Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub. Date: June 2009
ISBN-13: 9780385737487

Sales Rank: 54,368
Age Range: Young Adult256pp

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): A fascinating book about the history and culture of China. The history of China spans thousands of years. Journey through China in this fascinating and absorbing book: discover the land of dragons and emperors, and learn about the significance of its ancient dynasties. Countless tools and materials that people have used every day for centuries—paper, gunpowder, cast iron, matches, and silk, to name just a few—were first made in China. Chinese society has progressed through major changes, but lucky numbers, festivals, beliefs about colors, the practic of footbinding, the building of the Great Wall, and the larger-than-life people of China are all integral parts of this ancient civilization and still have an impact on life today. Bestselling author Adeline Yen Mah explores an extraordinary view of the great story of China over the last two millennia in this nonfiction work, which also includes black-and-white photographs.
A THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD
by Adeline Yen Mah

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: August 2003
ISBN-13: 9780060006419
Sales Rank: 296,190
272pp

Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): In this poignant memoir the New York Times bestselling author of Falling Leaves, Adeline Yen Mah, provides a fascinating window into the history and cultural soul of China. Combining personal reflections, rich historical insights, and proverbs handed down to her by her grandfather, Yen Mah shares the wealth of Chinese civilization with Western readers. Exploring the history behind the proverbs, she delves into the lives of the first and second emperors and the two rebel warriors who changed the course of Chinese life, adding stories from her own life to beautifully illustrate their relevance and influence today.