by Simu Liu
First published 2022
Simu Liu opens his story in Harbin, China, where his grandparents raised him while his parents built a new life in Canada. When his father arrives unexpectedly to bring him to North America, Liu enters a world of cultural clash and family tension. His parents find their son emotionally distant. He finds them harsh compared to his gentle grandparents. Liu excels as the dutiful immigrant child, earning top grades and winning math competitions, but grows tired of living up to impossible expectations. After college, he lands an accounting job only to get laid off within a year. Unemployed and ashamed, he spots a Craigslist ad that launches him into acting. Through countless rejections and mishaps, Liu pushes forward with the same determination his parents showed when they left everything behind for Canada. His pursuit of an acting career becomes more than professional ambition. It becomes a path back to understanding his family and honoring the courage they passed down to him.
Genres: autobiography, memoir, asian-american, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Harbin, China, Canada
Period: 21st-century
289 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow