Witty and wholeheartedly honest, We Were Dreamers is the superhero origin story of Simu Liu, who grew up torn between Harbin, China and Toronto, until he found the courage to dream like his parents before him. Before he became Marvel’s first leading Asian superhero, he played the part of the ideal son, getting A’s at school, crushing national math competitions and making his parents proud. But as time went on, he dared to dream bigger.

In his awe-inspiring memoir, Simu offers a no-holds-barred look at the struggles he and his parents experienced as they tried to become a family while dealing with culture gaps, racism and wildly conflicting definitions of success. Simu’s story is at times painful, but also filled with hope and laughter. It’s a colourful and nuanced tale that highlights a larger narrative about Asian Canadian culture that many will relate to.