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We Were Dreamers

An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

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We Were Dreamers

Written by: Simu Liu
Narrated by: Simu Liu
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About this listen

Marvel’s newest recruit shares his own inspiring and unexpected origin story, ranging from China to the bright lights of Hollywood. An immigrant who battled everything from parental expectations to cultural stereotypes, Simu Liu struggled to forge a path for himself, rising from the ashes of a failed accounting career (yes, you read that right) to become Shang-Chi.

Our story begins in the city of Harbin, where Simu’s parents have left him with his grandparents while they seek to build a future in Canada. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up; it’s Simu’s father, who whisks him away from the only home he has ever known to the land of opportunity and maple syrup.

Life in the new world, 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 ideal son well, getting A’s at school, crushing national math competitions and making his parents proud. But as time goes on, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the expectations placed on his shoulders, and finds it harder and harder to keep up the charade. Barely a year out of college, he hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Unemployed, riddled with shame and with nothing left to lose, Simu sees an ad on Craigslist that will send him on a wildly unexpected journey into the mysterious world of show business. Through a swath of rejections and comical mishaps, Simu’s determination leads him to succeed as an actor and 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 circumstances.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Asian Creators Entertainment & Celebrities Inspiring Funny Heartfelt

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Simu Liu has a great story to tell, even at such a young age.
Recommend!

Enjoyed thoroughly

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Having recently been on a memoir kick, and reading/listening to numerous memoirs, this is by far my favourite. Listening to it in Simu’s own voice makes it even better. It’s captivating, tear-jerking, and funny. I laughed, cried, and was genuinely inspired by his story. He’s a gifted story-teller.

Best memoir I’ve read.

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I learned a lot about China and an immigrant’s life. I love when the author reads it, it is so authentic.

Loved this so much!

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Simu has a way of writing that sounds so very much like his own voice, and to have him literally read it to us in his own voice in was even better! This title was very easy to listen to and stay engaged with. The series of thoughts, memories, and vignettes he shared gave me yet another window into what a Canadian newcomer's experience can be like, and it made me remember that you can really only see a sliver of a person on the surface – there's always a lot more underneath.

Born a storyteller

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Enjoyed hearing about Simu’s experiences as an immigrant kid in Canada and about how he forged his own path through hard work and pure grit. Was also inspired by the themes of empathy, understanding, love, and gratitude throughout. Many thanks to the author for a great listen.

Inspiring on so many levels

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This book is heartmelting, funny and, made me cry.
I would recommend listening to the audiobook.

Read/Listen to the Book

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Simu’s reading of his own story is captivating, funny, and authentic. The writing itself is playful and real highlighting his own voice. I’m a first generation Greek- Canadian, Markham, Ontario gal, who found so many shared experiences in his story. This is not for Asian communities alone but for everyone, especially those belonging to any diaspora community.

Honest and engaging

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I loved this book. No two ways around it. Simu really captures his story in a compelling way and is as good a narrator as I've heard (even amongst memoirs). But I have to admit, I had to listen in 20 minute increments for good portions of the book. The raw openess of sharing the trauma of his upbringing brought me right back to my own, myself a product of a strict, no nonsense Asian immigrant parent. It was both hard and helpful to hear those stories of slaps and retribution and listening to him read his own words I recognized the tone of a child who has forgiven but will never forget. Great book. Great story. Totally worth the purchase!

Loved this despite it being a hard "read"

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mimicking excellent indeed whoever appeared in the background and giving real energy to the world

experience

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Much of the story is very good but I think he should have told at least something about the experiences of shooting Kim’s Convenience and the movie. That was lacking.

Lacked anecdotes

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