We Were Dreamers

An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

By: Simu Liu

Narrated by: Simu Liu

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Simu Liu (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Simu Liu is a natural narrator, conversational and appealing as he shares his engaging story of pursuing acting and finding eventual stardom as the headliner of a Marvel superhero movie.... Liu's driven yet playful personality shines through as he tackles the highs and lows of chasing his dream." (AudioFile)

Cried! Wow what a moving book

This book was so relatable. I laughed I cried I felt empowered and inspired after.

Must read!

I absolutely loved this book! Simu’s voice was so Pleasant to listen to… I laughed, I cried and I laughed and cried some more!

Loved it!

This book was so well written, relatable and inspiring!! Made me think a lot about my own family dynamics and how grateful I am for my family’s determination to immigrate to america.

interesting!

it taught me about the struggles of immigrants, the marl left by our country and our culture, and the resilience of all of us!

Very humbling superhero

Sad to hear about the family troubles from a real superheo who worked so hard to fight injustice. I can see a movie in which he can star in his real superhero origin story. Way to go Simu. You deserve all the spotlight. You ve earned it.

Genuine immigrants’ story and an exquisite soul

What a gem! Some parts of this book brought me to tears. I was touched by the authentic and brilliant Simu whose struggles and triumphs resonate with me.

Fantastic listen!

Loved it! Thank you Simu for being so open and sharing so much of your family story with the world.

Could not put down.

I could not stop listening to this audiobook. It spoke to me being a second generation immigrant. Everything Simu spoke about honestly was everything I could relate to. It also reminded me of how I can break the cycle with my own children and love them unconditionally by supporting them. A must read.

such an inspiration

loved this book so much. it's such an inspirational store of one families dream of making a better life for themselves a d their family. Simu is just as much of an inspiration to someone of non-Aisan decent as he is to all who are of Asian decent. it shows he is human just like everyone else and that he stated just like some of us did and are still doing.

Immigrant Story, with a happy ending

First off, Simu is hilarious. His narrative makes this immigrant story so very captivating. Simu wears his emotions on his sleeves. This book made me laugh out loud and cry to myself. The story of his parents was so very moving. Im so glad he was able to share it with us. I highly recommend this book for the Chinese Immigrant perspective. Kudos to Simu