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Making a Scene

Making a Scene

by Constance Wu

Scribner ·2022 ·336 pages
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84/99

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22/99

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About This Book

A powerful and poignant new book by Crazy Rich Asians and Fresh Off the Boat star Constance Wu about family, romance, sex, shame, trauma, and how she found her voice on the stage. Growing up in the friendly suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, Constance Wu was often scolded for having big feelings or strong reactions. "Good girls don't make scenes," people warned her. And while she spent most of her childhood suppressing her bold, emotional nature, she found an early outlet in local community theater—it was the one place where big feelings were okay—were good, even. Acting became her refuge, her touchstone, and eventually her vocation. At eighteen she moved to New York, where she'd spend the next ten years of her life auditioning, waiting tables, and struggling to make rent before her two big breaks: the TV sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and the hit film Crazy Rich Asians. Through raw and relatable essays, Constance shares private memories of childhood, young love and heartbreak, sexual assault and harassment, and how she "made it" in Hollywood. Her stories offer a behind-the-scenes look at being Asian American in the entertainment industry and the continuing evolution of her identity and influence in the public eye. Making a Scene is an intimate portrait of pressures and pleasures of existing in today's world.


Reviews

"Throw in her talent for vivid scene setting, plus an understanding that reflections are nothing without introspection, and the Crazy Rich Asians star delivers a page-turner that amounts to much more than its headline-grabbing revelations ..."

Thomas Floyd· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"The chapter about her mom is a literary highlight, written with such honesty and care (even the uncomfortable spots) that I dare you not to tear up ..."

Jana Siciliano· Bookreporter Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Wu's writing shines when she explores the seemingly simple yet meaningful loves of her life—her pet rabbit, her first car, her childhood neighbors, and her first job in a bakery ..."

Lisa Henry· Library Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Wu...dazzles in this essay collection about love, family, and her hard-won path to Hollywood success ..."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"...readers will leave the book tasting the bread Wu baked at her first job, and feeling the backstage excitement at a high-school theater audition."

Courtney Eathorne· Booklist Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"However, the time shifts and occasional lack of thematic connection sometimes limit the impact of the author's message ..."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Near the Top

"feels lovingly labored over ..."

Rajpreet Heir· The New York Times Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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