Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an aristocratic Chinese family who had exceptional advantages during a period of political and cultural turmoil. She was born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai. However, Adeline's money and status were unable to protect her from horrific emotional abuse throughout her early years at the hands of her vicious and cunning Eurasian stepmother. Adeline, who emigrated from Hong Kong to England and then the United States to become a writer and doctor, battled for independence as she made her way across the world, driven by her unwavering belief in the strength of the family.

Adeline's story—a captivating, agonizing, and ultimately victorious account of a girl's transition into adulthood—is a monument to the most fundamental human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding. Falling Leaves is an intimate work of heart that captures a unique true vision of China in the 20th century. The author's compelling voice tells of the terrible reality of growing up female in a family and culture that locked females in emotional shackles.