Intereting memoir but I felt it glossed over too much and wasn't as interesting as I thought it woul be. She is a truly gifted and creative person and that really didn't showcase her talents, only her past history

I truly enjoyed reading Nancy Kwan's memoir! I have seen some of the movies she has starred in and remembered always thinking that she looked so beautiful in them and that she was a great actress. I really loved her memoir; it felt so personal and engaging. Nancy explores her ancestry and her family's history in the beginning of the memoir and then moves onto describing her childhood as well as her journey into adulthood.

I love how open and honest she was about senstive topics like racism, and how she discussed her groundbreaking career throughout the book. I also found the parts of the story tracing her travels to places like London and Hong Kong to be very interesting as she really brought these places to life in my mind. Nancy's story was truly inspiring as she has faced so much adversity throughout her career as a Hollywood actress and persevered through all of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Reading this memoir felt like stepping into a time machine and living through the struggles and triumphs of one of Hollywood’s most groundbreaking figures. I knew of Nancy Kwan as an Asian icon, but this book brought her story to life in a way that was so personal and inspiring.

What struck me most was how much she had to overcome. As an Asian actress in the 1960s, she wasn’t just fighting for roles—she was fighting for the chance to be seen. Her journey from bi-racial daughter to international icon was filled with challenges, but she faced them all with incredible grace and resilience.

I loved how the book didn’t shy away from exploring the harsh realities of anti-Asian prejudice in Hollywood while also celebrating her successes. Nancy’s courage paved the way for so many, and her story made me reflect on how far we’ve come and how much work there is still to do.

The writing is warm and engaging, making it feel like I was sitting with Nancy and hearing her tell her life story herself. As someone who loves stories of resilience, this memoir captivated me from start to finish. It’s not just about Hollywood history; it’s about identity, perseverance, and hope. I’m so glad I read it, and I know I’ll carry Nancy Kwan’s story with me for a long time.

Highly recommend to anyone interested in Hollywood history, Asian representation, or simply a great personal journey. An absolute must-read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This memoir is a book I never wanted to end. It was touching and inspiring and I absolutely loved it. I’m so glad I have read it and got to learn more about Nancy Kwan. Thanks NetGallery.

very awesome memoir discussing the racism in the acting industry and overcoming it as well as her personal life. 5 stars. would recommend. tysm for thea rc.

I had heard of Nancy kwan but I didn’t know much about her, I’m so glad I do now. A fascinating story of a very specific time in Hollywood and specifically being a POC at that time. Told in a really engaging conversational style.

This memoir shows how an Asian woman became the first of its kind to star in a leading role. Nancy Kwan shows how she dealt with being an Asian actress and how she overcame it. Her story inspires so many people in the Asian community. I like reading memoirs that took place in the past like this one. Also, how Hollywood can handle people of color in films and TV shows. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this memoir and do a review.

Memoirs by actors and actresses often bog down in one place or another, but this one by Nancy Kwan did not. It's a highly readable account of her life from her birth in Hong Kong in 1939 to the present time. She comes across as very intelligent and very charitable. Not that she didn't provide much needed criticism at times. Ms. Kwan is a clear voice for describing the discrimination against Asians in the movie business and has been that voice for a long time. Interestingly, she had a Chinese father and a British mother, so she is half Asian and at least once had to have her eyes made up in a way for a movie that made her look more stereotypical Asian!

Nancy Kwan started off wanting to be a ballerina, but kismet tossed her into the acting world, and she worked long and hard to be an exceptional and diverse actress. She has acted in plays, television shows, commercials and about 40 movies. Lots of individuals whom she met and worked with are mentioned in this book, including Bruce Lee. (I specifically mention him here because he has fans who will read or watch anything and everything where he appears!) In addition, she talks about her personal life and love life without providing intimate details, which was refreshing for a contemporary memoir.

Maximilian Schell appeared to be her first actor boyfriend and that did not end well. She found him too moody, too jealous, too self-absorbed and too old. When she kindly told him it was over, he picked up the Oscar statue he had won for "Judgment at Nuremberg" and threw it at her. (A sidenote here: After his death, his niece and daughter revealed the great Austrian actor had far worse psychological problems than imagined.) Ms. Kwan then went on to marry another Austrian and had a son, but that marriage ended in divorce. Later, she would marry a second Austrian, her current husband, and said in the book exactly what I was thinking--her attraction to Austrian men had to be due to a past life!

Sadly, her beloved son died in his 30s, after contacting AIDS from a girlfriend, and Ms. Kwan describes the devastation she felt due to his death. Yet this is still very much a positive memoir filled with good things and happy times. There is no self-pity, no self-absorption, no dwelling on or obsessing about things that would bore the average reader. One feels this book would have made her father proud, and that would be important to her. Nancy Kwan knows what is important in life and what is not, and that knowledge has served her well; has served her fellow Asians well; and has served well everyone who believes race should not determine which jobs individuals get.

I was delighted to get to read the memoir of Nancy Kwan. I received a copy of "The World of Nancy Kwan, from Net Galley. Nancy Kwan writes of her life. she was born to a Chinese man and a Caucasian mother. She lived in China as a child and saw the horror of the war between China and Japan. Her family escaping to safer parts of the country. She found she had a talent for ballet a studied it more seriously when she came to England. she writes of the pain of her mother abandoning her as a baby. At the age of twenty she is cast in her first movie movie "the World of Susie Wong' she went on to star in Flower Drum song. She writes of her decades of movies and tv roles. She is an advocate for Asian decent actors to get roles in movies and tv and not be typecast.
She gave birth to her only child Bernie and writes lovingly of her son who grew up to be a poet and writer. and tragically the loss of her son when he got aids from his wife. This is a good memoir from Nancy Kwan. I was happy to read of her life and learn some more about the Talented actress.

I’ve always enjoyed learning about Hollywood behind the scenes so I was excited to read about Nancy Kwan’s time in Hollywood. It was written well and enjoyed the way it was written and hooked from the first page. It was great to get to know Nancy Kwan’s life and history.

While familiar with and love the "Suzie Wong" Cheongsam style - I had no knowledge of the phenomenal, barrier-breaking actor behind the global craze. I loved learning Nancy's story - to realize how much as well as how little is changed since she starred in The World of Suzie Wong. Her life and philosophy towards life was just the book I needed to read.