Chinese Cinderella

No, this story isn't about a girl who lost one of her glass slippers in a ball. But yes, this is a story of a young girl who was deprived of love by her stepmother and her children, and, sadly, even by her own father and siblings.

Chinese Cinderella is a true story of the first few years of the life of, as the name implies, a young Chinese girl (Adeline) in the midst of the Second World War. She wasn't living in rags, or in the attic; they were, in fact, rich.

When Adeline was born, her mother died two weeks after giving birth. Thus, since that tragic happening, poor Adeline had always been considered responsible for the death of her mother. Adeline, talented and intelligent as she may be, wanted nothing of the two, instead she yearned to be accepted and loved by her family.

Her life, and theirs too (her siblings, Aunt and Grandpa, too), worsened when their father married a young (only seventeen) Eurasian woman. So speaking, she was to play the role of the wicked stepmother. And yes, a wicked stepmother she was.

Adeline's story is simply moving. I've read it in one sitting, and, whilst indulging myself in the book, I couldn't help the specks of tears forming in the corner of my eyes to slide down on my cheeks. This is one of my most favorite biographies of all time, and one of the stories I will never forget.