What is the theme in Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah?

The desire for family is an important theme. Adeline's desire to have a close-knit family overrides everything else in her life, and this is a desire that is never really fulfilled and that she never gets over. From her earliest age, Adeline is anxious to form a bond with her siblings. She especially longs for a relationship with her brother, James, who is nearer in age to her than the other older siblings. James is close to her but never comes to her defense and tells her that she should never care about anyone else either, in order to protect herself against hurt.