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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

"Wu is refreshingly honest in this look back at the most formative moments of her life, with each chapter acting as a stand-alone, deeply personal essay ..."

Lisa Henry· Library Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Her memoir is a gorgeously relatable portrait of a life guided by passion and art."

Courtney Eathorne· Booklist Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"a beautiful memoir ..."

Jana Siciliano· Bookreporter 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

"That willingness to not just address her faults but grapple with them makes Wu's memoir all the richer."

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

"Bursting with revelation and reckoning, it's a fitting end to a memoir about finding meaning in messiness."

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

"Fans will feel lucky to be in on the action."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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