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We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu

We Were Dreamers is a memoir written by actor and activist, Simu Liu. You may recognize Liu from his prominent role as Shang-Chi, a Disney movie based on the Marvel Comics. Before Liu’s rise to fame, he faced many uphill battles. Liu details his family’s history, struggling with finding his identity, the importance of Asian representation, and why you should always follow your dreams. 

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We Were Dreamers is my favorite memoir to date. Liu writes from the heart and does not hold back from sharing his painful experiences growing up. Liu details the struggles, sacrifices, and the long journey his parents made from China, the U.S., and eventually to Canada in search of a better life.

Liu’s parents had one vision and that was their son excel in school so he can have a respectable career. Liu was often faced with mental and physical abuse if he didn’t get good grades. He started to believe that his grades determined whether he was worthy of being loved by his own family. When Liu discovered his passion for the arts and acting, you can bet that was a difficult and daunting conversation he didn’t want to have. 

Liu’s story and struggles deeply resonated with me. I commend him for openly sharing his story because it opens the door for important conversations, especially in the Asian community. In a culture where grades and careers are placed first and mental health last, many kids grow up believing that they’re not worthy of love unless they receive A’s and pursue a career that their parents deem respectable. Liu stresses that no matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you decide to pursue, you are deserving of love.

Liu’s success story of following his passion despite his family’s disapproval is one that will inspire many to believe in the beauty of their dreams. It’ll hopefully also inspire immigrant parents to realize that the road to success isn’t linear. We Were Dreamers encourages others to break free from the mold and decide your own destiny, after all, Liu is one of many who are living proof that you can do it too. If you’re a fan of memoirs, of Liu’s, or success stories, I highly recommend reading this book. Liu is witty, charming, funny, and above it all, incredibly inspirational. We Were Dreamers is now available wherever books are sold. Order your copy on Amazon today! 

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu

Genre: Biography

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Oh so glad to read a review of this! I have it on hold at the library and can’t wait to get it, I was already so into it by the synopsis, but made me even more curious after reading this! x

  2. I so love personal memoirs, especially when the author is not afraid to share his real, raw, breaking moments, and this book sounds like it does a fantastic job of delivering a gorgeous range of emotions! Cannot wait to check it out. 🙂

  3. THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING. The moment he announced that he was releasing a book, I preordered the audio (because I love listening to people narrate their own story). I listened to it from Sunday-Tuesday of this week and loved every second of it. I laughed (he’s hilarious) and I cried (gosh, his family and their story, just WOW) and my respect for him grew tenfold. I already loved him so much, but now I just love him even more. Seriously, such an amazing memoir!

    • That’s incredible Stephanie! I’m so happy to hear that you loved it as well! There’s so much emotion poured into his story and when I revisit this book, I definitely want to check out the audiobook version. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!

  6. I really like Simu Liu and had not realized he had a memoir out; I would love to read it (your review has pretty much persuaded me) so I will add to my new reads list. There is so much more to his story and I’d love to learn more.

  9. Great review! I loved Simi in Shang-Chi but I didn’t know he had a book out – that’s amazing! It’s great that this resonated so much with you and his story sounds so inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing x

  10. I loved Simu in Kim’s Convenience and I admire him for writing this book. I’m glad that the book resonates with you and believe it’s likely one all of us should read to gain a better idea what Asian families go through. Thank you so much for sharing.

  11. This sounds like a really inspirational book, and not only for fellow immigrants. I love the line, “the road to success isn’t linear”, that’s so true. And we’re all on different journeys, some of us simply take longer to get there due unexpected detours 🙂

  12. It’s amazing that he achieved his dreams, despite not having the support of his family.

  13. I don’t know about this book. But it sounds like an interesting read. You have written a detailed review. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.

    Lauren x

  14. This is some high praise for this book! I’m not familiar with this actor or the movie but I do love non-fiction and memiors. Anything that’s inspiring is always good too. Great review 🙂 x

  15. This is interesting. It’s inspiring to read about others’ struggles even if it’s just a story. It resonates with people in real life.

  16. Great review, I only heard about him from Selling Sunset and this gave me a deeper insight into his story

  17. This sounds like something I would like to read! I love reading about the struggles of others especially when someone moves to another country and culture and how they overcome that as have seen it first hand with immediate family. Thank you for sharing this I will definitely look it up.

    Soffy / https://alittlecupofus.com/

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