Making a Scene

Award-winning actress Wu (Crazy Rich Asians) 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. Wu began participating in community theater as child looking for acceptance and an outlet for her powerful emotions. She struggled with overcoming her continual casting as the ingénue, fighting for more diverse roles and eventually finds sitcom fame as the tiger mom on TV’s Fresh off the Boat. Wu takes full responsibility for the more complicated times and relationships in her life—estrangements with her sister and mother, fights with friends, and love affairs that fizzled out. She candidly describes her experiences with date rape and sexual harassment, culminating in her social media meltdown and a backlash that led to her being taken off her balcony and sent to a hospital. 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.