Chinese Cinderella was the last book I read this year, and it is also one of the best. Six Crimson Cranes is another favorite; as my husband recently pointed out, both books are Chinese (although Six Crimson Cranes also contains Japanese elements). I guess the way these authors think and write is simply very appealing to me.
Chinese Cinderella is an autobiography, and there were many pages where I could not hold back my tears — though in the end, I was very glad that she succeeded in life. Adeline is the ‘unwanted daughter’ who, in my view, is the kind and hard-working girl that we need more of everywhere. I cannot imagine a world where Adeline is not a positive force. I do not want to give too many spoilers, so I will just say that it is a must‑read. The language is very simple, which shows that an elaborate vocabulary is not necessary to create a powerful story; I felt every single word. Only later did I discover that it is actually a children’s book, which explains the simplicity of the language.
I also learned a bit about how Chinese names are constructed, with the family name written first and the given name after that. I was fascinated by the pictorial writing system and how different the logic of the language is. One example that affected me deeply is the word yi, meaning “intention”: it combines the symbols for yin (sound) and xin (heart), so intention becomes “the sound from the heart” – how beautifully poetic that is.
Before you go, did you know that Chinese Cinderella predates the Italian one?
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