Strange to say, up till now, I have refrained from reading books which have anything to do with where I come from. Apart from the odd Malay novel that I was bound to read during my SPM years, and the Legend of The Monkey God which someone gave to me even earlier than that, I don't think I've ever read any books based on an Asian culture/upbringing, less still anything to do with Chinese culture.
I'm not really sure what made me pick this book up from my GP's waiting room. It's been in my room for 2 weeks and I only picked it up today as a break from reading about the kidney this afternoon.
Surprise, surprise, its pretty good. I read 2 chapters, then tried saving it for later. After doing some questions online, I started reading to the end, only stopping for dinner. And so I think its pretty darned great, not only for attracting and holding my attention to the end (when its basically a biography), but for making me want to tell others about it.
The title is Falling Leaves The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter. It starts off pretty unusually, with the family gathering to witness the execution of the author's late father's will. An execution which is in itself surprising. The reader is then transported back to the beginning, following the journey of Adeline Yen Mah, growing up in the lower half of a wealthy family in Shanghai prior to the First World War. Amidst anecdotes of family life, she gives a evocative picture of flourishing China before the inflation.
I like the fact that she didn't pull any punches, showing bluntly a picture of a pretty scary family background. When I thought about it, I guess many families in China had that sort of background as well, which does not diminish the story in the least. On the contrary, I felt I'd opened a window into which I gained a view of the background from which my grandparents were from. Being able to relate to a few of her experiences was pretty interesting as well, though I thank God wholeheartedly that my parents are not that old-school.
Beyond the looking back, its a story of persevering amidst adversity, a common theme in the movies and novels through the ages. We've all heard of how hard work and not giving up brings its own reward; seldom do we hear it being told through the aloofishness of a Chinese paternalistic society, or with the nuances of a culture steeped as much in filial love as it frowns upon dishonour and going against traditions.
Bottom line: there are a whole bunch of similar books out there I'm sure, but this is definitely one of those which will stay with me long after I pop it back to my GP.
