A few days ago I finished Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah. It is about Adeline's childhood growing-up in China during the second World War. It was a quick read, and just like in Memoirs of a Geisha I kept cheering for the main character. There was horrible emotional abuse that went on, and some physical abuse for this little girl. At one point her wicked step-mother brought her to a town that put Adeline in harms way.

In my everyday therapy work with children and families I am blown away by children's resiliency. This book is another example of this. Somehow this child held it together and became successful in life. She kept yearning for her fathers love, but I am not sure she ever gets it. She did, however, have the love of her aunt and grandfather. There is a lot of research that shows that if a child has one person that makes a difference in their life they are more likely to survive their traumas.

Overall, it was a good book and gave some flavor to China during the war. I am off to Tibet. I hope I don't have any trouble at the border.