Social Sciences
![Simu Liu - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_simu_liu.jpg)
We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story
The star of Marvel's first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime.
In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family's journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor.
Simu's parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu's new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to - although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.
As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly - he gets straight A's, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business.
Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu's determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents.
We Were Dreamers is more than a celebrity memoir - it's a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance.
In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family's journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor.
Simu's parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu's new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to - although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.
As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly - he gets straight A's, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business.
Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu's determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents.
We Were Dreamers is more than a celebrity memoir - it's a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance.
Editorial Reviews
"Don't let Simu Liu fool you. On the outside you may see boyish good looks, talent and a body made of tightly coiled muscle. But on the inside? It's quite good looking in there too. Strong heart. Beautiful ligaments and a soul made of spun sugar. Also, he wrote this hilarious and heartfelt story about growing up, finding yourself, and seizing your moment."
- Ryan Reynolds
"A sincere, funny and fascinating love letter to family, and a guidebook to pursuing your dreams."
- Olivia Munn
"Oh great, another underdog story of overachievement. Just what we needed." - Ronny Chieng
- Ryan Reynolds
"A sincere, funny and fascinating love letter to family, and a guidebook to pursuing your dreams."
- Olivia Munn
"Oh great, another underdog story of overachievement. Just what we needed." - Ronny Chieng
Readers Top Reviews
donghao89Kenzie Rous
The book is very informative. Simu tells the story of his parents' struggle from China to Canada, his own journey growing up between the two cultures and his search for his dreams. In the end, he connects all the dots and makes his dreams come true. He is very sincere and honest about his intense conflict with his parents, his anxiety, fear and even despair in the pursuit of his passion. Every first or second generation immigrant can resonate with this book. Most importantly, gain strength from the book. The road is made by people. Simu proves with his actions that anything is possible.
Justine Huddleston
So heartfelt and funny, with so many relatable cultural nuances to make this Asian Canadian feel so seen. Simu is a very entertaining storyteller and makes this a easy and quick read. Also made me realize how little I know about my parents own immigrant story.
Steph E.
Simu is a good writer. I hope he writes more. His story made me sad, mad, and happy for him. I hope he is a success and I hope he has the relationship he wants from his family. I hope he finds the love he wants. Thank you for sharing your story.
Maryalice Tomoeda
I finished this book two days ago and have been thinking about it ever since. Two caveats. Unfortunately, I can't rate parts of a book, so please be advised that the star rating I've given is a compilation. Also, if you're expecting a book about life on the Shang Chi set (I was not, but just in case), this doesn't go that far, so you may not enjoy it if that's all you're looking for. Onto the review. Act one was amazing. Five stars, especially the chapters about his grandparents and parents. This was a part of history that was not taught in school when I was growing up and I learned a lot about a Chinese culture that was much different than the one I experienced in the islands. I love history and culture and language. Act One delivered 100%. It would be worth the price of the e-book even if you went no further than the end of Act One. Acts Two and Three felt more disjointed. Three stars on those. You could take the disjointedness to reflect his life before becoming a superhero, but the storytelling, while good, wasn't as solid and kept veering off suddenly (for example, a tutorial on how to answer a job interview question - great tutorial, and I'll use the tips...thanks Sir, but not the place for it). These zig zags, along with the depressing bits of a teen and parents who had no clue how to understand each other, were difficult to get through (I'm sure they were much harder to live through than read through). The political bits stuffed into Act Three also drew away from the story. Not that they were badly written but, tied with the rest, made We Were Dreamers feel like three completely different books stuffed together rather than one cohesive whole. All that said, it's the first book in quite a while that has kept me thinking about what the author has said and how he wrote the book for a good two days now, and probably for more time to come. And anything that keeps my brain in gear is a good thing.
Crystal Z. Lee
This memoir focuses on two main themes. First, it's an honest meditation on the conflict-ridden cultural/generational gap and subsequent alienation he felt from his parents, a struggle many children of immigrant families can relate with. Secondly, it chronicles the trials, mishaps, and triumphs in his journey as an actor. The first part of the memoir also focuses on the family history of his parents. Personally, this section was a favorite because I adore studying Chinese history, and I've heard scores of Cultural Revolution stories during my time working in Shanghai. I also once had a lovely trip to Harbin, his hometown. The teenage rebellion years Simu went through were the sections that tugged most at my heartstrings. The part about his bumpy road from accounting to acting was very gripping too. What stood out to me most was his perseverance and proactive approach to life. His success wasn't built on just luck, but from overcoming a series of adversities. All in all, this memoir is a triumph for immigrants everywhere, and an inspirational guide to reach for your dreams.
