Jung-ling's family considers her bad luck because her mother died giving birth to her. They discriminate against her and make her feel unwanted yet she yearns and continuously strives for her parents' love. Her stepmother is vindictive and cruel and her father dismissive. Jung-ling grows up to be an academic child, with a natural ability for writing. Only her aunt and grandfather offer her any love and kindness. The story is of survival in the light of the mental and physical cruelty of her stepmother and the disloyalty of her siblings. Jung-ling blossoms in spite of everything and the story ends as her father agrees to let her study in England. A Puffin Modern Classic edition of this bestselling autobiography, celebrating ten years of publication.

 

This book is part of a book series called Puffin Modern Classics .

There are 288 pages in this book. This book was published 2009 by Penguin Books Ltd .

Adeline Yen Mah's memoir, Falling Leaves, was published in 1997 and became an international bestseller. Her other books include A Thousand Pieces of Gold, Watching the Tree and two children's books, Chinese Cinderella and Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society.