‘The 6:20 Man’ by David Baldacci will be released July 12, 2022. Photo: amazon
David Baldacci published his first novel, ‘Absolute Power,’ in 1996. A feature film followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 44 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers. His next book ‘The 6:20 Man’ will be out Tuesday, July 12, 2022. In this new thriller, a cryptic murder pulls a former soldier turned financial analyst deep into the corruption and menace that prowl beneath the opulent world of finance. (amazon, 2022)
‘The 6:20 Man’ – Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.
Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building–presumably a suicide, at least for now–prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that was not enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power where something rotten lurks. Apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there is a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bull’s-eye.
‘Tao Calligraphy’ is the first in a series of books about the benefits of Tao Calligraphy. Photo: Amazon
Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha is the author of thirty-one books, including eleven New York Times bestsellers and bestsellers on the lists of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon. He brings ancient wisdom to modern times to help people reach optimal wellness and greater happiness. Tao Calligraphy is a revolutionary healing art based on an ancient form of one-stroke calligraphy from China. Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha now brings this healing frequency to everyone through a new book series. The first book in the series, “Tao Calligraphy to Heal and Rejuvenate Your Back,” offers relief from back pain, a problem all too familiar to many Americans. According to Georgetown University’s Institute for Health Care Research and Policy study, nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain. (Tao Calligraphy, 2022)
In “Tao Calligraphy,” Dr. & Master Sha offers a guide for enhancing many aspects of life through soul secrets, wisdom, and simple, practical techniques. As a doctor of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture and a master of several Eastern arts, he brings decades of study and experience to help people discover their own power to heal and uplift their lives. It is divided into eleven chapters including Tao Science Explains the Universal Law of Shen Qi Jing, Why do People Have Challenges in Health, Relationships, Finances,and Every Aspect of Life?, and What is Tao Calligraphy? In the section The Importance of Practice, the author explains the importance of practicing Tao Calligraphy and explains how to access the practice videos using the QR codes. Since it addresses ways to heal back pain, In the Foreword, William Gladstone stresses that this book is not a substitute for medical treatment but that it is simply “a supplemental approach that has helped hundreds of thousands with no negative side effects.”
Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced back pain. It is a chronic condition that can disrupts people’s daily life and some pain relievers can cause side effect that can be worse than the original back pain. In his book in a series, Dr. & Master Sha shares ways to relieve this pain through Tao Calligraphy. In the first couple of chapters, he briefly explains the science and physics involved in vibrational fields but overall it is easy to understand and follow. It is a small but informative book that includes QR codes that link to videos that help further explain the information. Highlights include Chapter 3: Why Do People Have Challenges in Health, Relationships, Finances, and Every Aspect of Life? because it clarifies the fact that Tao Science states that “information, energy, and matter can be positive or negative” and that when they are negative, they cause sickness and relationship, and financial challenges and Chapter 6: Chinese Calligraphy where he explains what Chinese Calligraphy is and its importance in Chinese culture. Admittedly it is a different way to deal with physical pain but it has worked for some people. “Tao Calligraphy” is a small but helpful guide to help heal and rejuvenate your back and is recommended for readers interested in mental and spirituals healing.
“To be a person of good quality and to experience a good life, we need to have a good vibrational field. A good vibrational field is one carrying positive information, energy, and matter. Positive information, energy, and matter bring connection, order, and harmony.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
The Black Phone is the movie adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story from ’20th Century Ghosts. Photo: google
Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels “The Fireman,” “NOS4A2,” “Horns,” and “Heart-Shaped Box;” “Strange Weather,” a collection of novellas; and the acclaimed story collections “Full Throttle” and “20th Century Ghosts.” The Black Phone is a short story in his “20th Century Ghosts”collection and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions starring Ethan Hawke.
The Black Phone – Jack Finney is thirteen, alone, and in desperate trouble. For two years now, someone has been stalking the boys of Galesberg, stealing them away, never to be seen again. And now, Finney finds himself in danger of joining them: locked in a psychopath’s basement, a place stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children. With him in his subterranean cell is an antique phone, long since disconnected but it rings at night anyway, with calls from the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them does not happen to Finney. The movie is 1 hr. 42 min. long, is rated R and classified as horror/thriller.
I have not read many of Joe Hill’s works, just ‘NOS4A2,’ but I have seen the series NOS4A2 and the movie Horns, both are excellent. After watching The Black Phone movie on opening weekend I was curious how it compares to the original short story on “20th Century Ghosts.” I checked the book out of the library because it seemed quicker than going out to buy it or ordering it on amazon. I read it in one seating, it is, after all, a short story, no more than 30 pages long.
The movie is short, less than two hours long, and that is the way I like it. It does not go into detail with an origin story, the reason why the ‘Grabber’ is the creepy killer that he is and that is quite alright with me. It is mislabeled as a horror movie because it is not scary at all but it is a psychological suspense/thriller. There are plenty of jump scares and suspenseful moments and yes, it is hard not to compare it to IT with the balloons, the mostly young cast, the retro setting, and the yellow raincoat the sister wears. While it may have a predictable ending, it does have a false ending, where just when you think it is over…..it surprises you. Yes, it is unnerving to see children in peril but in the end, Finney takes a schoolmate’s advice “Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself.” All’s well that ends well. It gets high marks for Ethan Hawke’s performance and how about those creepy masks. I came to the conclusion that the reason the father is an abusive alcoholic is because he is still grieving his wife, who committed suicide because of the visions she was having, just like the daughter and he was scared that she would end up the same way. It is creepy, haunting, and suspenseful but it also focuses on the familial bonds between brother and sister and in the end the father is repentant. Did I need to know why the Grabber is a demented killer? Probably not. I would definitely watch it again. Need a movie recommendation for the long Fourth of July weekend? Check out The Black Phone, it is well worth a trip to the movie theater.
The short story focuses on when Finney gests kidnapped and his trying to escape. The Grabber is obese and does not wear masks. He kills his brother just when we think he is going to save Finney, just like in the movie. It does not mention a sister or father for Finney or even anything to do with school, but both the movie and the story have the same redemptive ending. I would say that the movie is faithful to the short story version when it comes to Finney’s harrowing experience with the Grabber and that is all that matters.
The television adaptation of ‘The Terminal List’ premieres on Amazon Prime Video on July 1, 2022. Photo: amazon
Jack Carr is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and former Navy SEAL. He is the author of “The Terminal List,” “True Believer,” “Savage Son,” “The Devil’s Hand,” and “In the Blood.” He is also the host of the Danger Close Podcast. In his debut novel “The Terminal List,” a Navy SEAL has nothing left to live for and everything to kill for after he discovers that the American government is behind the deaths of his team in this ripped-from-the-headlines political thriller. It has been adapted into an action thriller television series and will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, July 1, 2022. It stars Chris Pratt and consists of eight episodes. (amazon, 2022)
“The Terminal List” – On his last combat deployment, Lieutenant Commander James Reece’s entire team was killed in a catastrophic ambush. When those dearest to him are murdered on the day of his homecoming, Reece discovers that this was not an act of war by a foreign enemy but a conspiracy that runs to the highest levels of government. Now, with no family and free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons that he learned in over a decade of constant warfare toward avenging the deaths of his family and teammates. With breathless pacing and relentless suspense, Reece ruthlessly targets his enemies in the upper echelons of power without regard for the laws of combat or the rule of law.
‘The House Across the Lake’ is Riley Sager’s new psychological/supernatural thriller. Photo: amazon
Riley Sager is The New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently “Home Before Dark” and “Survive the Night.” His first novel, “Final Girls,” has been published in 30 countries and won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. His latest book is “The House Across the Lake” was named a most anticipated summer book by USA Today, People, E! News, Cosmopolitan, PureWow, CNN.com, CrimeReads, POPSUGAR, The Nerd Daily, BookTrib, Mystery Writers of America, Bookish, and Distractify. (amazon, 2022)
“The House Across the Lake” – Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is powerful; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.
One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage is not as perfect as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey immediately suspects Tom of foul play. What she does not realize is that there is more to the story than meets the eye—and that shocking secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces.
Packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists, Riley Sager’s “The House Across the Lake” is the ultimate escapist read . . . no lake house required.
Kelly Sokol is the author of “Breach” and “The Unprotected,” which was featured on NPR and named one of Book Riot’s 100 Must-Read Books of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. She is a Pushcart Prize-nominated author and MFA creative writing graduate. Her work has appeared in Alpinist, UltraRunning Magazine, The Manifest-Station, Connotation Press, and more. She teaches creative writing at The Muse Writers Center. Her new book “Breach” is an unflinching and timely gaze into the marriage of an enlisted special operator and his wife.
“Breach”– Marleigh Mulcahy grew up in a boxing gym, the daughter of hard-drinking parents who did not keep a stable roof over her head. The story begins as she is working at her grandfather’s gym. In the cinder-block Box-n-Go, amidst the sweat and funk, she meets Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist Jace Holt, a highly and expensively trained bomb diffuser with three successful deployments behind him. With a heady mix of hope, carelessness, and a ridiculous amount of courage, they begin a family. They have plenty in common because they both have unstable parents and they are determined to do better. In between the pressures of a growing family and responsibilities, their relationship grows strained. When Jace returns to active duty, a roadside bomb resurrects ghosts from the couple’s past and threatens the life they have built.
It is common knowledge that the life of a military wife is challenging but it is rare to read a book that chronicles these challenges. This is where ‘Breach’ comes in and not only fills the void but excels at shining the light on the ups and downs of a military family. This book is an unwavering look at the reality of what it means to be a military wife and struggling to keep it together. With down to earth language, it is fast paced and an easy read and will keep readers turning pages to find out what happens to Marleigh in the end as her life begins to unravel. The characters are relatable and well developed and the action is mostly dialogue driven. Although it contains a few graphic sex scenes, it serves to cement the couple’s relationship and does not take away from the focus of the overall story. Marleigh and Jace’s story may be heartbreaking but it ends on a hopeful note that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. ‘Breach’ by Kelly Sokol is a reminder that it takes a village to raise a family and that we all need the support of friends and family. It is easily this year’s beach read and is recommended for fans of military family life fiction as well as women’s fiction.
“Marleigh awoke in the dark, each night, a running tally of debt in her mind. Food, school for the boys, diapers for Max, gas for the car, car insurance. Did she have room on either of her credit cards? Health insurance cancellation notices.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
The fifth book in the Project Adventure series, ‘Portrait of a Robbery’ will be released June 28, 2022. Photo: Robert Konrad
David Konrad is an adventurous dad who shares his love of storytelling with middle-grade children around the world. While traveling internationally and raising his young family, he found inspiration to write his books and fulfill his mission: making a difference in the lives of children. The ProjectAdventure children’s book series is action-packed, fun-filled, and driven by characters that young readers seeking their next favorite mystery will cherish. International author David Konrad releases “Portrait of a Robbery,” the fifth book in his popular children’s books series, Project Adventure. Just in time for summer, the pre-teen mystery book promises to be a hit with young readers. “Portrait of a Robbery”launches June28, 2022. (David Konrad, 2022)
The Project Adventure series begins with “The Heart of the Island,” in which Friends, Ethan and Matt seek to find a lost diamond. The next three books include “Rumble at the Zoo,” in which the boys meet Lisa, who joins the team for the rest of the series, “The Courtside Mystery” and “The Scrapyard Shakedown.” In each book, the heroes’ friendship, love for adventure and mystery- solving skills help save the day.
In the latest, “Portrait of a Robbery,” Ethan, Matt, and Lisa embark on a train journey to the small town where Matt’s grandmother caters to her valuable art collection on her beautiful estate. After being caught in a terrible storm that sets the garage ablaze and almost kills them, the detective team discover clues that bring them closer to solving the mystery of the missing Van Gogh.
Of the series, author David Konrad says, “Project Adventure is, of course, fiction and should be viewed as that. But I believe that kids today are a bit overprotected, and that a little bit of adventure, even if it is only on pages, is great for them. It might influence them to take more of an ‘active’ approach in life. To be accountable. To sometimes take chances. To be brave and self-confident, and to believe that things will work out in the end. I think that might be the most important message Project Adventure is trying to deliver.”
“Portrait of a Robbery” by David Konrad is currently available for pre-order on Amazon. Price: $3.99 ebook, $8.99 paperback Publish date: June 28, 2022
‘Tao Calligraphy To Heal and Rejuvenate Your Back’ is the first book in the series by world-renowned healer, humanitarian, spiritual master, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Tao Calligraphy is a revolutionary healing art based on an ancient form of one-stroke calligraphy from China. Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha now brings this healing frequency to everyone through a new book series. The first book in the series, “Tao Calligraphy to Heal and Rejuvenate Your Back” offers relief from back pain, a problem all too familiar to many Americans. According to Georgetown University’s Institute for Health Care Research and Policy study, nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain. (Tao Calligraphy, 2022)
Below is an excerpt from “Tao Calligraphy”
Why Do People Have Challenges in Health, Relationships, Finances, and Every Aspect of Life? by Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha, Author of Tao Calligraphy to Heal and Rejuvenate Your Back
Millions of people suffer from sickness in the physical body, including all kinds of pain, inflammation, cysts, tumors, cancer, COVID-19, and many other sicknesses.
Millions of people suffer from sickness in the emotional body, including anger, depression, anxiety, worry, grief, fear, guilt, shame, loneliness, and more.
Millions of people suffer from sickness in the mental body, including poor concentration, diminishing memory, negative thinking, judgment, ego, and many mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, and more.
Millions of people suffer from sickness in the spiritual body because the soul can carry negative information. In fact, as we have seen in the Universal Law of Shen Qi Jing, negative information is the root cause of all kinds of sickness in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies.
Millions of people have relationship challenges, including with partners, parents, children, siblings, other relatives, friends, bosses, employees, colleagues, organizations, and more.
Organizations, belief systems, cities, countries, and more could also have relationship challenges with each other.
Millions of people have environmental challenges, including polluted air, water, or land, inadequate shelter, unhealthy food, lack of healthcare, and more.
Millions of people have financial challenges.
Why do we have so many challenges in every aspect of life?
What is the key to understanding all of these challenges?
Is there a solution for these challenges?
If so, what is the solution?
I wrote this book to answer these four questions. Above all, I wrote this book to serve you, humanity, and Mother Earth.
In one sentence:
Humanity has all kinds of challenges in health, relationships, finances, the spiritual journey, and every aspect of life because of negative information, energy, and matter (negative shen qi jing).
What is the key to understanding all of these challenges? In one sentence, the key is that the heart and the soul are affected and influenced by negative information, energy, and matter.
Is there a solution for these challenges? In one sentence, the solution to all challenges in health, relationships, finances, the spiritual journey, and every aspect of life is to apply positive information, energy, and matter (positive shen qi ing) to transform negative information, energy, and matter.
Positive Information, Energy, and Matter
Tao Science states that information, energy, and matter can be positive or negative. This revolutionary insight helps us deeply understand sickness, healing, and transformation. What are positive information, energy, and matter? Positive information, energy, and matter are any information, energy, or matter that promotes order, connection, and harmony. Positive information, energy, and matter can heal and transform sickness, prevent sickness, rejuvenate, prolong life, harmonize relationships, boost finances and business, and enlighten one’s spiritual journey.
There are ten qualities that carry the most-positive information, energy, and matter: greatest love, greatest forgiveness, greatest compassion, greatest light, greatest humility, greatest harmony, greatest flourishing, greatest gratitude, greatest service, and greatest enlightenment. I will explain these ten greatest qualities in more detail in chapter eight.
Because these ten greatest qualities are the most-positive information, energy, and matter, they can transform every aspect of life. They are the highest wisdom. At the same time, they are the highest practice. They carry the highest power.
In ancient wisdom, shu yi zai Dao 书以载道, which means calligraphy is used to carry Tao. In this book, I share two Tao Calligraphies I have written to carry some of the ten greatest qualities to serve you, as well as to serve families, humanity, organizations, cities, countries, and Mother Earth.
Tao Calligraphy is Tao Source Oneness writing. It is art. It is art beyond art that can heal and transform health, relationships, finances, the spiritual journey, and every aspect of life. I will teach you how to practice in the Tao Calligraphy Field to transform every aspect of life. The practices are simple but profound. Practice is vital for you to receive the greatest possible benefits that I wish you and every reader to receive.
In one sentence:
All good health, harmonious relationships, flourishing finances and business, and enlightened spiritual journeys are due to positive information, energy, and matter.
Negative Information, Energy, and Matter
What are negative information, energy, and matter? Negative information, energy, and matter are any information, energy, or matter that promotes disorder, disconnection, and disharmony. Negative information, energy, and matter cause sickness, relationship challenges, and financial challenges. Negative information, energy, and matter block one’s spiritual journey. Negative information, energy, and matter create blockages in every aspect of life.
A human being has physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies.
In the physical body, any lack of energy, vitality, or stamina; any pain, inflammation, cysts, tumors, or cancer; and all other sicknesses are negative information, energy, and matter.
In the emotional body, anger, depression, anxiety, guilt, shame, worry, grief, fear, and more are negative information, energy, and matter.
In the mental body, confusion, mental disorders, poor concentration, poor memory, ego, and more are negative information, energy, and matter.
In the spiritual body, not understanding or realizing the importance of the soul journey, which is the spiritual journey, getting lost on one’s spiritual journey, creating mistakes of hurting and harming others and the environment, and more are negative information, energy, and matter.
For relationships, any disharmony in any kind of relationship is negative information, energy, and matter.
For finances, all blockages in any aspect of finances are negative information, energy, and matter.
For a business, any challenge in any part of the business is negative information, energy, and matter.
In one sentence:
All challenges, blockages, and failures in health, relationships, finances, and the spiritual journey are due to negative information, energy, and matter.
How to Transform Negative Information, Energy, and Matter
To transform all challenges in health, relationships, finances, the spiritual journey, and every aspect of life is to transform negative information, energy, and matter to positive information, energy, and matter.
I am delighted to offer a Tao Source practical tool to help you, families, society, organizations, humanity, and Mother Earth. This practical tool is named Tao Calligraphy.
Tao Calligraphy creates and carries an Ultimate Source most-positive field, which could transform negative fields in all life, including health, relationships, finances, and the spiritual journey. Health includes four bodies: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha is the author of thirty-one books, including eleven New York Times bestsellers and bestsellers on the lists of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon. He brings ancient wisdom to modern times to help people reach optimal wellness and greater happiness.
Dr. and Master Sha offers a guide for enhancing many aspects of life through soul secrets, wisdom, and simple, practical techniques. As a doctor of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture and a master of several Eastern arts, he brings decades of study and experience to help people discover their own power to heal and uplift their lives.
His books help people to understand the “soul” and how to connect with their own soul power and the science of soul healing to align the relationship between the soul, heart, mind, and body. He explains the all-important Law of Shen Qi Jing (Information, Energy, and Matter), where shen (information) includes soul, heart, and mind; qi is energy; jing is matter. This law reveals that soul leads heart, heart leads mind, mind leads energy, and energy leads matter. Throughout his work, he shows people how to effectively transform their negative shen qi jing to positive shen qi jing to heal and transform their lives.
Some abbreviated titles of Master Sha’s books include Soul Mind Body Medicine, The Power of Soul, Soul Healing Miracles, Soul Communication, Soul Wisdom, Tao Song and Tao Dance, Soul over Matter, Tao I and Tao II, Greatest Love, Greatest Forgiveness, Tao Science, and Tao Calligraphy Healing Field. Through his books, ancient and new Tao wisdom are made accessible for modern times. The power of unconditional love, forgiveness, and other key virtues flow and are embraced as methods for healing and transformation. Ancient wisdom from traditional Chinese medicine such as Five Elements Theory is made easy and applicable through practical healing techniques. The transformative art of Tao Calligraphy and the wisdom of Tao Science and quantum physics empower people to heal and manifest their dreams.
Providing guidance for every aspect of life, whether from an earlier book or one of his most recent and comprehensive books, Tao Calligraphy Healing Field: An Information System with Six Sacred Tao Techniques to Empower You to Heal and Transform Your Life, Dr. and Master Sha provides the tools and the wisdom for living optimally and creating the purposeful and fulfilling life you imagine.
‘Down to the River’ is Anne Whitney Pierce’s new novel. Photo: amazon
Anne Whitney Pierce is a life-long Cantabrigian and the author of two books, “Galaxy Girls: Wonder Women” (1993) and “Rain Line.” (2000) She has taught in the graduate writing program at Emerson College in Boston. Her short fiction has appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, The Chattahoochee Review, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kansas Quarterly, Crosscurrents, TheSouthern Review, among others. Her work has been included in the O’Henry Prize Story Collection and has won several awards, including the Nelson Algren Award, the Willa Cather Fiction Prize, the Paterson Fiction Prize, New Voices Award and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award. Her new book “Down to the River” is a family saga set in the late 1960s in Cambridge, Massachusetts against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. (amazon, 2022)
“Down to the River” – Whitney Pierce has set this novel in a time similarly turbulent to our own. It tells the story of how the Potts family, bred from privilege, falls to their knees amongst the revelries, riots, and raging uncertainty of the 60s. It is a family that hides deep secrets, as dark and murky as the Charles River which divides Cambridge and Boston. The town of Cambridge is a city so storied and distinct it becomes a living, breathing character.
Twin brothers, Nash and Remi Potts, have grown up as entitled, Harvard-educated, golden boys, heirs to an old, but dwindling family fortune. With the passage of time, the gold veneer of prosperity begins to chip away, and their lives begin to falter. It is 1968, and they are in their mid-forties and partners in a sporting goods store in Harvard Square. The twins’ marriages are in trouble. Their youngest children, Chickie and Hen, are coming of age during the turbulent urban wilderness of the late 1960s— school bomb threats, racial tensions, war protests and demonstrations at Harvard and beyond. With all hell breaking loose at home, and any semblance of “parenting” hanging ragged in the wind, the two cousins are left largely to their own devices. Suddenly freed from old rules and restrictions, they head out onto the streets of Cambridge, which become their concrete playground, tumbling headlong into a world of politics, sex, drugs, rock and roll.
‘We Were Dreamers’ is Simu Liu’s new memoir; now available everywhere. Photo: google
Simu Liuis an actor and writer best known for his work on Marvel Studios’ Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in five seasons of the beloved family sitcom Kim’s Convenience, and for manifesting his dreams into existence with a Tweet. He wishes he had tweeted for something a bit better – like world peace, or for his parents to finally say “I love you.” His new book “We Were Dreamers” is more than a celebrity memoir – it is a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance. (Barnes and Noble, 2022)
“We Were Dreamers”– The star of Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime. In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family’s journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor.
Simu’s parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, 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 pious child flawlessly – he gets straight As, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business. Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu’s determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents.
SA Examiner 