Catalog

Record Details

Catalog Search



We were dreamers : an immigrant superhero origin story / Simu Liu.

Liu, Simu, 1989- (author.).

Summary:
"We Were Dreamers is the superhero origin story of Simu Liu, Marvel Cinematic Universe's first leading Asian superhero, who grew up torn between China and Canada, until he found the courage to dream like his parents before him. Witty, honest, inspiring and relatable, We Were Dreamers weaves together the narratives of two generations in a Chinese immigrant family who are inextricably tied to one another even as they are torn apart by deep cultural misunderstanding. Let's just say, it's really hard to be seen as cool amongst your peers when your parents assign you hours of extra homework every night. And it's similarly hard to admit to those parents, years later, not only that you've lost your respectable accounting job--the one they invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in to prepare you for--but also that you kinda want to be an actor. Going beyond his own experiences, Simu tells the story of his parents' decision to leave him behind to be raised by his grandparents while they sought a future in North America, and of the shock and loss he experienced when the father he hardly even remembered showed up one day to take him away from the only home he had ever known. He offers a no-holds-barred look at the struggles he and his parents experienced as they tried to become a family while dealing with culture gaps, racism and wildly conflicting definitions of success. And he shares many entertaining stories of his own incredible path to success, from the acting gigs he landed through Craigslist ads to dressing up as Spider-Man at kids' birthday parties and serving as Pete Wentz's stunt double on a Fall Out Boy music video. Ultimately, it is Simu's singular determination to make his dreams come true that not only leads him to succeed as an actor but also opens the door to reconciliation with his parents. For by the time he is thirty--the same age his parents were when they immigrated--he recognizes that he and his parents have much in common, most notably their courage to dream, and to dream big. We Were Dreamers is a story about growing up as a third-culture kid, about losing and finding family, and about making your own luck. More than one family's story, it is part of a larger narrative about Asian Canadian culture--a colorful and nuanced tale that is worthy of being told and deserving of a wide readership."-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780063046498
  • ISBN: 0063046490
  • Physical Description: 289 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York, NY : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2022.

Content descriptions

Formatted Contents Note:
Act One. Made In China -- Back In Time -- The Frog And The Swan -- An Impossible Dream -- Welcome To America, Jerry Lewis -- Oh, Canada? -- Zhenning's Homecoming -- Act Two. Life In The Land Of Poutine -- Simu The Genius -- Simu The Rebel -- Eye For An Eye -- The Astronaut -- Simu The Superfrosh -- Abercrowannabe -- Simu The Fraud -- Everything Is Lost -- Act Three. Dark Night Of The Soul -- Professional Craigslist Actor -- Simu The Starving Artist -- Back To Corporate -- Blood And Water -- An Inconvenient Summer -- City Of Shattered Dreams -- Big Asian Energy -- A Date With Destiny.
Awards Note:
A Junior Library Guild Selection.
Subject: Liu, Simu, 1989-
Liu, Simu, 1989- > Childhood and youth.
Liu, Simu, 1989- > Family.
Motion picture actors and actresses > Canada > Biography.
Immigrants > Canada > Biography.
Children of immigrants > Canada > Biography.
Parent and child > Canada.
Genre: Autobiographies.

Available copies

  • 29 of 29 copies available at SPARK Libraries.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 29 total copies.
Show All Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Abington Community Library 92 LIU (Text) 50687011782706 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Albright Memorial Library 92 LIU (Text) 50686016191483 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Altoona Area Public Library 791.4302 LIU (Text) 33240004959899 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Cambria County Library YA 791.4302 L783w (Text) 85131001836981 CACM Young Adult Non-Fiction Available -
Collinsville Community Library Adults Liu Biography (Text) 34259000552416 Main Room Available -
Dalton Community Library 92 LIU (Text) 50689090007666 Browsing Available -
Emmaus Public Library YA 791.43 LIU (Text) 36446002069758 Young Adult Nonfiction Available -
Exeter Community Library LIU (Text) 33249025335070 Biography Available -
Gallitzin Public Library 92 LIU (Text) 31814300665731 GALM Non-Fiction Available -
Gettysburg Library BIOG LIU-S (Text)
Endowment: Friends of Library Named Endowment, 2022
35740635843345 Biography Available -


Additional Resources