Rebecca Anne Nguyen
Rebecca Anne Nguyen (born 1981) is an American novelist and playwright. She is the author of the novel The 23rd Hero and co-author of the memoir Where War Ends: A Combat Veteran's 2,700-Mile Journey to Heal.
Early life and education
[edit]Nguyen (née Voss) was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to a public school teacher and a social worker. She attended public schools. She earned her BFA in musical theatre at the University of Miami.[1]
Writing career
[edit]In 2019, Nguyen co-wrote a memoir with her brother, U.S. Army veteran Tom Voss. The book charts his on-foot journey across America following his combat experiences during Operation Iraqi Freedom.[2] Where War Ends: A Combat Veteran's 2,700-Mile Journey To Heal was published by New World Library[3][4] and won a Foreword Indie Award for Best Autobiography/Memoir (silver).[5][6]
Nguyen's stage play, Hypotheticals, is a neurodivergent romantic comedy about a woman who kisses a stranger in an elevator on her way to mandatory psychotherapy. When the stranger turns out to be her new therapist, they begin a professional relationship while trying to ignore their growing attraction for each other.[7] The play received staged readings at World Premiere Wisconsin,[8] Cincinnati Lab Theatre,[9] and Epiphanies New Works Festival, where it was the 2023 festival winner.[10][11] The play has received two productions, with a world premiere at Kith & Kin Theatre in Milwaukee and a regional premiere production at Wild Imaginings Theatre in Waco, Texas.[7][11]
Nguyen's fiction debut was published by Castle Bridge Media in 2024.[12][13] The 23rd Hero is a time travel romance about a woman with an extraordinary memory who travels to sixteenth-century France to stop climate change before it begins.[14] The novel was awarded the 2024 Readers' Choice Award for Best Adult Novel (bronze).[15] The 23rd Hero audiobook was named a top-five finalist in the Best Narration By the Author(s) category for the 2025 Audie Awards alongside Salman Rushdie and Whoopi Goldberg.[16][17]
Bibliography
[edit]Fiction
[edit]- The 23rd Hero (2024) ISBN 979-8-9895934-1-5
- Hypotheticals (2024) play
Nonfiction
[edit]- Where War Ends: A Combat Veteran's 2,700-Mile Journey to Heal — Recovering From PTSD and Moral Injury Through Meditation (2019) ISBN 978-1-60868-599-8
References
[edit]- ^ "University of Miami commencement 2006". UM Commencement Ceremony Collection. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
- ^ Jones, Meg (December 10, 2019). "Iraq veteran featured in documentary about walk from Wisconsin to California publishes memoir". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
- ^ Kramer Bussel, Rachel (2018-11-12). "Why War Books By Veterans Will Always Be Popular". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ Garrett, Lynn (2019-06-17). "Making it Personal: Memoirs of Faith Reassure Readers" (PDF). Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ "2019 Foreword Indies Winners in Autobiography & Memoir (Adult Nonfiction)". Foreword Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ "Where War Ends: Winner of a 2019 Foreword Indies Silver Book of the Year Award". New World Library. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ a b Schubert, Brianna (2024-04-18). "'Hypotheticals' Invites Audiences to Explore Life's Gray Areas". Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ Fischer, Mike (2023-05-17). "The Reality of an Illusion: Reflections on Rebecca Anne Nguyen's Hypotheticals". World Premiere Wisconsin. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ "Cincinnati Lab Theatre Presents the Hottest Event of the Summer: 2023 New Works Festival". Behind the Curtain Cincy. 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ "2023 Winner: Hypotheticals by Rebecca Anne Nguyen". Wild Imaginings Waco. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ a b Hoover, Carl (2024-11-07). "Waco theater festival showcases new plays, 1st musical reading". Waco Tribune-Herald.
- ^ Busch, Jason (February 2025). "Mystery to Me turns the page". In Business Madison. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ Bossick, Karen (2024-12-14). "Rebecca Anne Nguyen to Discuss Readers' Choice Award Winning Book". Eye on Sun Valley. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ "The 23rd Hero: Fans of time-travel romance are likely to find this story deeply satisfying". Kirkus Reviews. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ Giorgi, Raiza (December 13, 2024). "Award-winning author Rebecca Anne Nguyen to present novel". Idaho Mountain Express. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ "2025 Audie Awards Finalists". Audio Publishers Association. 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
- ^ Tagen-Dye, Carly (2025-01-22). "Cynthia Erivo, Barbra Streisand and More Among Finalists for 30th Annual Audie Awards". People. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
Further reading
[edit]- "Exclusive interview with Rebecca Anne Nguyen". She Reads editors. August 1, 2024.