Rating: 
Summary: sad and compelling
Review: It's not often a book makes me cry, but this true story of this little girl's cruel and lonely childhood certainly did. I have no doubt she suffered tremendously through all these things, but my only criticism is that in the end she paints herself as the suffering victim, rather than the triumphant survivor. It is excellently written and un-put-downable (?), but I would have liked to see a more positive outlook at the end, especially as she found true love and happiness with her second husband. Overall - you must read this book!
Rating: 
Summary: could be better
Review: I read the Chinese version of falling leaves. The story identifies itself in the same manner as the Chinese TV dramas, about women being abused in her childhood as she is growing up. The story is touching, but it could have been a much better book, if the author would emphasis a little more on the love she received from her 2nd husband and from her grandaunt, be less resentful of her past or phases it in another way. As a reader, I can still sense the hatred and bitterness that she has towards her relatives. Of course, she has all the reason to dislike them, after what they had done to her. Her father for being incapable of loving his children. (He might be the reason why the family is dysfunctional) Stepmother, who cares about nothing except power, fame and wealth. Older sister who is stupid, ungrateful and likes to play little games. The 3rd brother who was supposed to be the only one in the family that cares about her, betrayed her in the end, which makes me wonder, maybe she never really know what kind of person he really is. I can understand she wants the approval from her father (acceptance of being part of the family) by looking through the stepmother's bedroom for her father's original will. The way she wrote it, it sounded like she wants a part of inheritance even though she kept saying she didn't want it. What attracted me is that she never gave up hope and wants to be independent. That is something women should look into, really go for what they want and don't look back. "Knowledge is something that nobody can take away from you."ΓΏ
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping, really pulled me in!
Review: Reading Falling Leaves really tested my nerves - I found myself feeling desperately angry at times and at other times feeling great sympathy and joy. The author has a narrative writing style that is truly excellent - she manages to win over the reader ot her side easily. I loved every page of it!
Rating:
Summary: Painful Remembrance
Review: Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah is a powerful and inspiring true story about a young Chinese girl born into a family that is ashamed and cruel to their daughter. Tears cascaded over my eyes as I read about the hardships and mishaps of her childhood. Any child who has ever felt alone in this vast world should read this memoir. It helps us focus on what is important and realize how lucky we are for having caring and understanding people in our lives.
Rating: 
Summary: The author is too self-centered
Review: There are parts of the book about Chinese history which was very interesting. I enjoyed reading about her bad childhood but I think the author over exaggerated everything. The author claims she was singled out for punishment through no fault of her own. She claims to be searching only for her father and step-mother's love but she seemed more upset at the end with the inheritance. The story doesn't seemed to be totally truthful. The author liked to talk about not getting special treats and visits while she was at the boarding school. She never brings up the fact that there were orphans at the school who probably never tasted any of these treats and never had any visitors or a home to go back to on vacations. She liked to portray herself as the victim. Mah also mentions how her sister betrayed her but she never tried to help her handicapped sister in any way after she received a excellent education which was paid by her father. The author seemed all wrapped up in herself and liked to emphasize that she spent money on her father's illness. Even though she witnessed babies wrapped in newspaper left at doors, she never mentions the desire to help them. She acts like a spoiled princess. Mah claims she was not interested in the inheritance yet she cries and says thanks you when her brothers agree to give her 10% of their share. She sneaks around trying to find out about the will reading. Mah needs to read books like A Child Called "It" or The Lost Boy to find out what it means to be abused and neglected as a child.
Rating:
Summary: What every Chinese woman should read...
Review: You would need to be attuned to the traditional Chinese family relationships to appreciate this book to the fullest. As a Chinese-Filipino living in Manila and part of a semi-traditional Chinese family, I can completely relate to Ms. Mah's story. My family is great, don't get me wrong. But tradition dictates that I remain quiet when the elders reprimand me, that I agree to what the family decides is best for everybody. I live life not only for myself, but for the rest of my family members. Although Ms. Mah's "airing of their family's dirty laundry" is not very "Chinese", I would think it's the perfect outlet to put closure into a life of hardships. A must-read for people who are or will be marrying into Chinese families. This book provides everyone with a view of how strong Chinese (or Asian for that matter) family ties are and how difficult it is to break free from centuries of traditions no matter how hard we try.
Rating:
Summary: Much to talk about, but not very well told
Review: I found this book disappointing because she is cheated so many times out of family acceptance. She fails to see that Niang's opinion of her can never be changed because she believes too strongly in the wholesome "Leave it to Beaver" family attitude. Her memory lacks real emotional substance, she doesn't really say anything other than the plain facts during these tragic events of her childhood. At the end when Aunt BaBa died, I couldn't relate to Adeline's warm, peaceful feeling, so I don't think the ending settled any matters between her and her family. Her writing style is good, but I didn't understand how so much boring history related to her story. She skips around on the timeline, which confused me while I tried to organize each event in my mind.
Rating:
Summary: excellent chronicalling of historical and cultural influence
Review: Mah did an excellent job chronicalling the impact of history and culture on the lives of women in my mother's generation. I gave the book for my mother to read because the story mirrored her life in many ways, including the migration from Shanghai to Hong Kong and eventually to the States. I very much enjoyed the book and so did my mother.
Rating:
Summary: So she had a dysfunctional family...get over it
Review: This had to be one of the most annoying books I've read in a long time. How such an intelligent woman, a Western-educated physician, could be so stupid, over and over again, is a question she never attempts to answer. "Falling Leaves" is her version of her conniving, money-grubbing vicious dysfunctional family. She comes off smelling like Joan of Arc/Mother Teresa but virtually everyone else - her father, her Cinderella step-mother from hell, her 6 siblings living and dead, are all crucified by their actions as recounted by the good doctor. But she's careful, for instance, to have one of her sisters proclaim that their dead brother Franklin was a monster - the doctor didn't say it of course, she's just reporting the facts. She pleads over and over that she only wanted her parents' love and that's why she kowtowed (no pun intended) and kissed their selfish, self-centered butts no matter how many times they kicked her in the face. There was a lot of money at stake in this family, but the good doctor insists that the fact that she was cut out of the will had NOTHING to do with writing this book. Right. On the plus side, the insights into the social upheavals of early and mid-20th century China as experienced by one wealthy family are fascinating. Perhaps Dr. Mah should have left her dreary Machiavellian family out of the story all together - but then she wouldn't have been able to use this book as an excuse to whine about her lifetime of maltreatment at the hands of a family she should have shut the door on the day she graduated from medical school. Ech, phooey.
Rating:
Summary: Vivid narrative of abuses suffered under a narcissist.
Review: Adeline Mah vividly narrates her suffering under a highly abusive and dystfuntional family structure. It is unfortunate that, at least in her book, she never recognizes that the cruelty she suffered was under the hands of a profoundly narcissistic personality, namely, her stepmother. Had she known what she was contending with, she might have been better equipped to handle her family and to establish and live her own life apart from the destructiveness of this very sick system. For the longest time I avoided reading this book because I knew exactly what I would find in it from the few reviews I had read. I did not want to rekindle and exacerbate my own pain which I suffered under a wicked half-aunt who presided and still presides over our family like a matriarch. I hope that Adeline is finally able find peace within herself because there is truly no way she could have ever found peace with a narcissist or the effects of having been in such close contact with one. Readers might be interested in doing some research about narcissists to fully comprehend the character of Niang and her role in the Yen family. I recommend Sam Vaknin's book, Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited which details the danger and destructiveness of people afflicted by this dangerous madness, such as O.J. Simpson. Another source is the first half of Scott Peck's People of the Lie: the Hope for Healing Human Evil. It's difficult for individuals who have never encountered a narcissist to truly appreciate and comprehend the pain and damage associated with having such an evil presence in in one's family, much less being the stepchild of one. Adeline's memoirs sheds some light on this very painful and little known experience.
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