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We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story Hardcover – May 17, 2022

by Simu Liu (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,657 ratings
Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    William Morrow
  4. Publication date
    May 17, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.01 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0063046490
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0063046498
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Ryan Reynolds quote
Olivia Munn quote
Ronny Chieng quote

Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

“A frank and often funny look at [Liu’s] path to becoming a superhero…he tells his family’s story with empathy and honesty, and the resulting book is a sincere tribute to immigrant families everywhere.” — EW.com

“A tender, nuanced narrative that is refreshing in its frankness. His focus on the pressure, rather than the promise, of the American dream actively subverts the model-minority myth…A celebrity memoir that compassionately interrogates the dark side of the American dream.” — Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Simu Liu is an actor and writer best known for his work on Marvel Studios’ Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in five seasons of the beloved family sitcom Kim’s Convenience, and for manifesting his dreams into existence with a Tweet. He wishes he had tweeted for something a bit better - like world peace, or for his parents to finally say “I love you”. He lives in Los Angeles, Toronto, and wherever the best tax credits for film production are. 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow (May 17, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063046490
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063046498
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.07 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.01 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,657 ratings

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Simu Liu

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,657 global ratings
When will the movie version be out please? ❤️
5 Stars
When will the movie version be out please? ❤️
This was a great summer read!I felt like I was in every scene.Thanks for sharing YOUR life with us, Simu.
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Top reviews from the United States

Helena
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful surprise turned into one of my favorite books.
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
Around this time last year, I decided to binge-watch every Marvel movie (because at that point I had probably seen, like, 10). Shang-Chi came out in the middle of the pandemic in 2021 and wasn't really talked about much, so I didn't even bat an eye at it and had incredibly low expectations. At first it was just another movie to check off the list, but right from the beginning it absolutely blew me away and is now, hands-down, one of my favorite Marvel movies; a true hidden gem.

After Simu appeared on Jeopardy! and this book was promoted in passing, I decided to buy it. I liked Simu from what I saw from him and wanted to support him, so I figured why not? However, like the Shang-Chi movie, I went in with no expectations...but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it! I'm someone who usually jumps to the end of the chapter before reading it to see how long it is to mentally prepare myself, but I didn't do that once with this book. I didn't even think to stop. It's seldom I find a book I can't put down—so much that I can't remember the last time it's happened to me—but this was definitely one. The stories of Simu and his parents are humbling and awe-inspiring. The book is also just full of playful humor and references that just make it a good time and makes you laugh—all while showing the struggle of trying to make it in Hollywood — a lifestyle we all glamorize way too much—as well as the struggle that immigrants face. It makes you count your own blessings and appreciate the smaller things in life that you absolutely take for granted.

The amount of honesty that he lays onto the page as he talks about all aspects of his life is also indescribably appreciated. I know he probably worked with a ghostwriter and editors to write this book but that aside, the words Simu puts onto the page really do seem genuine.

I love, love, loved the book. Definitely worth the read—and a re-read at that! It's a beautiful story and just made me love Simu even more than I already did. I look forward to his next project, where I will quietly cheering at his side.
6 people found this helpful
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Meredith
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best celeb memoirs I’ve read
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
“It seems like such a paradox to me that human beings are both great adapters to change and terrified by it at the same time.”

I went in expecting a story of his journey to the Marvel Universe and I got so. Much. More. In fact, there was very little on this aspect of his life and it didn’t bother me one bit. Because the story of his upbringing and relationship with his family was so fascinating, heartbreaking, relatable and inspiring at the same time. I teared up more than once.

At its core it’s a book of acceptance, reconciliation and forgiveness. A beautiful love letter to the family who, for better or worse, shaped him into the incredibly impressive man he is today. What I found to be most interesting is that he doesn’t just tell his own story. He took the time to interview his parents, who immigrated to Canada from China in the early 90’s, about their upbringing and told their stories to help offer an empathetic perspective into what may have caused them to have such high expectations of their son.

I’d recommend this as a read (or listen because his voice is butter and you can hear quivers of raw emotion when he talks about his family and his dog) regardless of your interest in the MCU.

💚 🅡🅔🅐🅓 🅘🅕 🅨🅞🅤 🅓🅘🅖:
-celebrity memoirs
-Marvel
-inspiring coming of age stories
-Chinese culture
-Picture Us In The Light

⚠️🅣🅦:
-abuse
-troubled family
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MC
5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and inspiring story
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
Simu Liu's bio "We Were Dreamers" is an engaging page-turner that shares - as his title suggests - an immigrant's story with a happy ending. While it does not delve into the details of the making of Shang-Chi, Liu shares the hardships and sacrifices that his family made to enjoy a better life overseas. I bought this book looking for something light-hearted and breezy to read. This book delivered that with humour and much more - heart and passion. Whether you are Asian or not, you will find this to be a redeeming story of how he and his parents overcame the harsh challenges of political upheavals, how he endured and survived the cold and at-times rough treatment from his parents growing up, how he found his passion and through hard work and luck, became a movie star. I'm not one for memoirs, but Simu Liu's story is truly inspiring. Highly recommended.
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Canada on December 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
More than halfway through the book and it is an entertaining and relatable story in many ways. Enjoying it very much so far. Highly recommended!
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Stormfairy
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
Simu's writing style is so easy to read that I devoured the book in just a few days (rare for me, as I'm a slow reader but I read at every opportunity I could because I enjoyed it so much). He tells his and his parents' story so well that it all hangs together and you can clearly understand how his parents' early lives led him to where he is now (don't skip those chapters, even though he gives you the option to, they are important for understanding context!).

This is a brilliant book for anyone who wants to understand the life journey of an immigrant and their children, and it's made me want to learn more about my parents' lives and why they made the choices they did and how that affected the way they brought me up. I applaud Simu for writing so honestly about the difficult relationship he had with his parents and also for rebuilding his relationship with them in adult life - possible only because Simu clearly has such an empathetic and generous nature. I've definitely warmed to him as a person and am hugely impressed by what he's achieved in a few years. I've also taken away some lessons for my own life.

This is a great read - I highly recommend it and have no doubt I'll re-read it again before long.
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Aditi Silveira
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and Inspirational!
Reviewed in India on July 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
I have always loved Simu Liu on screen but to hear his heartfelt story made me truly look up to him, as an Asian myself. The struggles and hardships he faced are inspirational and one can certainly take away from every celebrity's life story that fame and fortune don't come easy. Thank you for this Simu 🥰
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Ariel
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Humors and Heartfelt Storytelling
Reviewed in Germany on August 29, 2022
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This book makes me laugh, makes me cry, and most importantly makes me feel at home.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle-klant
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, funny and thought-provoking
Reviewed in the Netherlands on July 3, 2022
Verified Purchase
I admit I bought it because I bought the book because I loved Shang-Chi as a movie. But this book is good (great! Excellent even!) in its own rights. It tells a story about a boy growing up and finding his place in the world. Something we are all familiar with.
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