// Chinese Cinderella by @adeline.yen.mah

Sometime last year my dearest friend @ashgadiyar recommended me a memoir of an unwanted child. Memoirs, as you'd know by now, hold a special place in my heart and this coupled with the era (1940s) the book was set in, made me add it to my TBR pile immediately. When I finally had the chance to read it a few days ago, I was both shocked and moved by a young girl's resilience to fight against all odds to survive.

Yen Mah's mother dies while birthing her, instantly labelling the baby as bad luck. When her father remarries a younger woman, her fate takes a much more terrible turn because her evil stepmother controls her every action. Growing up with insensitive siblings and cruel parents, her only solace was her aunt and grandfather, both of whom doted on her unconditionally. But as circumstances would have it, she is made to separate from them and the trials and tribulations of a young Yen Mah only increases with age. This sweet girl is abused verbally, emotionally and even physically by what is meant to be her family and it broke my heart every single time she wrote about such an incident.

But in spite of having all the odds stacked against her, Yen Mah dreams and writes to break free from this evil cycle of torment. And she even miraculously manages to secure her freedom. Chinese Cinderella is in no way the best memoir I've read but what makes it specifically is Yen Mah's character of fearlessness. She fights for what she thinks is rightfully hers and after years of pain, she paves a new path for herself.

This book was written by keeping young adults in mind and I do feel it serves its purpose in doing what it claims to do. It inspires. And for this, I certainly recommend it to everyone.