Julie Wu is a Taiwanese-American novelist and medical doctor. She is the author of the novel The Third Son (2013), published by Algonquin Books.[1]

Julie Wu
Born (1967-04-02) April 2, 1967 (age 57)
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Alma materHarvard University (BA)
Columbia University (MD)
Genrenovel, literary fiction, historical fiction
Notable worksThe Third Son (2013)
Website
juliewuauthor.com

Life and career

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Wu was born on April 2, 1967.[2] She graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Literature, magna cum laude, and received her Medical Doctorate (MD degree) from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.[2][3] Wu entered the medical field partly because she believed that a medical career would benefit her as a writer.[4] She completed her residency in internal medicine and then began practicing as a primary care physician.[5] Wu then closed her medical practice upon wanting to focus her time on her writing and on her children.[5] Wu is also a recipient of a 2012 Massachusetts Cultural Council fellowship, and has also received a writing grant from the Vermont Studio Center.[2][6] She was once enrolled at the Indiana University at Bloomington master's program in vocal performance.[2]

Novels

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Wu wrote and published The Third Son in 2013, via Algonquin Books.[5] The novel revolves around a boy named Saburo and is set against the backdrop of occupied 1950s Taiwan and America at the dawn of the space age.[7] The novel received positive reviews from The Boston Globe, O the Oprah Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, The Christian Science Monitor, Shelf Awareness and more.[8]

Background on The Third Son

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Upon researching the political history of Taiwan and learning of the "2/28", Wu decided to write a novel that communicated the experience of the Taiwanese under Japanese rule and bridged the silence surrounding this time period.[9] Wu stated that the inspiration for her debut novel evolved first from an initial desire to write the "Great American Novel" to a desire to provide a voice for the Taiwanese and their history.[9] Wu ultimately wanted to write a story that would educate the American public stating that, "...[the novel] evolved partly from [my parents'] story but...I really fictionalized it...so that it would introduce people who wouldn't normally learn about Taiwanese history to Taiwanese history."[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Books & Reviews". JulieWu.com.
  2. ^ a b c d "Contemporary Authors Online". Biography in Context. Gale. 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  3. ^ "Bio". JulieWu.com.
  4. ^ "Interview with Julie Wu, Author of The Third Son". Bookmagnet's Blog. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  5. ^ a b c "An Interview with Julie Wu, Author of The Third Son". TaiwaneseAmerican.org. 23 April 2013.
  6. ^ Id.
  7. ^ Id.
  8. ^ "Books & Reviews, supra n.1". JulieWu.com. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  9. ^ a b c "Author Julie Wu Introduces New Novel, The Third Son". YouTube. June 20, 2014.