The World of Nancy Kwan: A Memoir by Hollywood’s Asian Superstar

Actor Kwan chronicles her rise to stardom and her journey from Hong Kong to Hollywood in her inspiring debut. “My father was Chinese and my mother was English, and I always felt it gave me a better understanding of human nature,” Kwan writes, teeing up her account of her 1940s childhood “between two worlds” in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. As a child, she aspired to become a ballerina. After a talent scout at an open casting call convinced her to do a screen test, however, a 20-year-old Kwan was offered a six-month contract, which soon led to the title role in the 1960 Hollywood film The World of Suzie Wong. As she charts her career, Kwan intertwines lighthearted anecdotes and heftier insights. For example, she reflects on the significance of being part of an all-Asian cast in her second film, Flower Drum Song, during a time when yellowface was a common casting practice, while offering an amusing behind-the-scenes recollection of Fred Astaire surprising the cast at a dance rehearsal. Elsewhere, she tackles racist stereotypes, the casting couch, and the loss of her son with aplomb. The result is an empowering personal history from an artistic trailblazer. Agent: Susan Canavan, Waxman Agency. (Apr.)