Books like Falling Leaves

The book was published in the height of the Chinese-mania in America. It was the time when the likes of Joy Luck Club and Wild Swan were bestsellers. I thought it was another 'me-too' and never got to read it until now. This is the summary of what I think:The good:- her style of peppering the story with chinese proverbs (characters, pronunciation, translation);- interesting peek of Shanghai in its glory straight from the person who lived that kind of life; and- engaging story-telling.The bad:- a tad too whiny and self-pitying. She presents the typical David vs. Goliath battle.- a tad too shallow and tedious. Miseries are repeated over and over again with little lesson learned.- a tad too simplistic and biased. She and everyone else on her side are angelic. The rest are evil.To me, there was only ONE entertaining moment in this book. Her eldest brother and apparent heir, Gregory, wrote a 6-pages letter to their father asking his permission to become a bridge player. He promptly send a telegram containing this very simple advice: "why don't you become a pimp instead?".I don't agree with the practice of mapping out a child's life and, to certain cultures, this may even provoke anger but, knowing the Chinese background, this is hilarious. It is so typical of Chinese parents to disapprove such flamboyant career and the way the father put a stop to it is also so typical of the Chinese. I just have to laugh.Despite her repeated denial (not only here but also in her other book, A Thousand Pieces of Gold), I can't help but feeling that this particular book is her little revenge. I also doubt that she sincerely not sore for not getting the huge inheritance. I mean, she mentions it so many times in her book on the excuse that inheritance is her only way of knowing for sure that her parents approve of her but we don't see her youngest sister Susan, who was disowned for bravely walking out the door in rebellion against her (birth) mother's abuse, whining about exclusion from the inheritance. No wonder her brother James doesn't speak to her anymore. By writing this book, she, again, defies her father who said: 家醜不可外揚 (Family ugliness should never be aired in public).Instead of thinking how brave she was, I get a feeling that she was a spoiled little girl. She described how she refused to eat fatty meat at all cost (when fatty meat was considered as a source of nourishment for children at that time) and to learn the value of money by asking for the tram fare.Conclusion: fun read but her other books, A Thousand Pieces of God is a better and more original memoir and book. However, if you can't stand another whine from another Cinderella, skip it.