Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

One daughter’s search for belonging and self-worth

Good Condition - Light cover rubbing and edge wear, with minor corner creases and a retail price label on the rear.

Adeline Yen Mah recounts a childhood shaped by rejection within a wealthy Chinese family, where the death of her mother soon after her birth leaves a lasting shadow over her place in the household. A formidable stepmother and unequal treatment turn the search for affection into a daily struggle, even as academic achievement offers a possible route towards independence. The memoir follows Adeline’s efforts to build a life beyond these early circumstances while remaining connected to family expectations and unresolved loyalties. Against a background of immense social and political change in twentieth-century China, she explores the emotional force of exclusion and the difficulty of escaping its influence. Falling Leaves is a personal account of endurance, ambition and the continuing desire to find a place to belong.