Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society
By the Author of Chinese Cinderella
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4.6 • 8 Ratings
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
During her lonely childhood in Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah wrote adventure stories to escape from her terrible step-mother and cruel siblings. The characters she created often became more real to her than her own family. In Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society, Adeline tells the story of Chinese Cinderella, a young girl who, after being thrown out of her home, has no choice but to go out and seek her own destiny. Soon she meets up with a group of children, all orphaned but each from a different background, who live with an old lady called Grandma Wu. Chinese Cinderella, or CC for short, decides her future after consulting an ancient book which helps to show her the way forward. And her choice takes her on a mission to save the lives of others. Based on a true-life incident during World War II. CC and the others bravely rescue a group of American pilots whose plane crashed after a bombing raid on Japan. Although her father is looking for her, CC knows that she can never go back to live with her cruel stepmother, and now there is no turning back.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After writing two memoirs about her childhood in China, suffering abuse from a cruel stepmother, Mah (Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter) writes an equally riveting novel set in 1942, featuring a young heroine from Shanghai with a background similar to her own. Unlike the author, however, 12-year-old narrator CC manages to escape her painful home life with a neglectful father and his tyrannical girlfriend by running away. She joins the secret Dragon Society, an academy devoted to "helping those who have suffered unjustly and have nobody to turn to." Under the guidance of kind "Grandma" Wu, a woman filled with pearls of wisdom, CC learns martial arts as well as the philosophy of kung fu. She also develops a strong camaraderie with three boys also unwanted or orphaned children who live at the academy. As Japan's occupation of China becomes increasingly treacherous, the Dragon Society prepares for a dangerous mission to save a group of American pilots from being captured by Japanese soldiers. For the first time since joining the academy, CC's courage and quick-wittedness are tested. This gripping tale based on a true event meshes action and suspense with Eastern philosophy to create a provocative and educational read. CC emerges as a noble, compassionate heroine who finds a path to happiness by helping others. Ages 10-up.
Customer Reviews
Stunning.
A beautiful book. My all time favourite. I could read it forever. You HAVE to read it. Brings a tear to the eye at some points. Seriously. Read it !!!