What will I learn about: why rejecting perfectionism and fully embracing your personality quirks, eccentricities, and body can actually propel you toward your dream life and career?

Discover why rejecting perfectionism and fully embracing your personality quirks, eccentricities, and body can actually propel you toward your dream life and career.

What will I learn about: how navigating inevitable personal and professional setbacks, rather than expecting a flawless path, builds resilience and fuels true self-development?

Understand how navigating inevitable personal and professional setbacks, rather than expecting a flawless path, builds resilience and fuels true self-development.

What will I learn about: how traveling outside your comfort zone is vital for discovering your heritage, building self-confidence, and learning to stop seeking validation from others?

Find out how traveling outside your comfort zone is vital for discovering your heritage, building self-confidence, and learning to stop seeking validation from others.

What will I learn about: deflect ignorant stereotypes and realize that other people’s assumptions about your race or gender do not dictate your worth or potential?

Learn how to deflect ignorant stereotypes and realize that other people’s assumptions about your race or gender do not dictate your worth or potential.

What will I learn about: Uncover the reality that breaking into a challenging industry comes down to relentless passion and motivation, proving it is entirely possible to successfully balance both a family and a demanding career?

Uncover the reality that breaking into a challenging industry comes down to relentless passion and motivation, proving it is entirely possible to successfully balance both a family and a demanding career.

Dear Girls

Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life

Ali Wong

★ 3.9 / 5(57 ratings)

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Categories:

Parenting Biography & Memoir

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered what motherhood really looks like when you strip away the filters and embrace the hilariously unpleasant truth?
💡What’s the secret to surviving the brutal early years of a career while turning your most embarrassing failures into your greatest strengths?
💡What if the key to true self-fulfillment wasn't about being perfect, but about leaning into the messiest parts of who you are?

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Key Takeaways from Dear Girls

✓Discover why rejecting perfectionism and fully embracing your personality quirks, eccentricities, and body can actually propel you toward your dream life and career.
✓Understand how navigating inevitable personal and professional setbacks, rather than expecting a flawless path, builds resilience and fuels true self-development.
✓Find out how traveling outside your comfort zone is vital for discovering your heritage, building self-confidence, and learning to stop seeking validation from others.
✓Learn how to deflect ignorant stereotypes and realize that other people’s assumptions about your race or gender do not dictate your worth or potential.
✓Uncover the reality that breaking into a challenging industry comes down to relentless passion and motivation, proving it is entirely possible to successfully balance both a family and a demanding career.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Dear Girls

Mind Map

Dear Girls

Self-Acceptance & Authenticity+

Career & The Hustle+

Travel & Comfort Zones+

Family History & Fortitude+

Relationships & Marriage+

The Realities of Parenting+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

Who is the primary intended audience for Ali Wong’s book 'Dear Girls'?

A. Aspiring Asian-American comedians looking for industry advice
B. Her infant daughters, in the form of a series of letters
C. Women struggling to balance their careers and marriages
D. Her husband, Justin, as a reflection on their relationship

Question 2 of 8

How did Ali react when she discovered the boy she liked in Vietnam thought she was too hairy?

A. She immediately changed her appearance to try and win his approval.
B. She felt deeply ashamed and decided to return to the United States early.
C. She remembered the empowering 'goddess-queen energy' from Hawai'i and realized she didn't need his approval.
D. She confronted him publicly and used the experience as material for her first stand-up show.

Question 3 of 8

What strategy did Ali initially use early in her comedy career to get audiences to take her seriously?

A. She played down her femininity by wearing loose cargo pants and skater shirts.
B. She strictly told jokes about politics and avoided talking about her personal life.
C. She performed under a male pseudonym until she was established.
D. She leaned heavily into Asian-American stereotypes to make the audience comfortable.

Question 4 of 8

According to Ali, what is the true value of 'bombing' (getting zero laughs) during a stand-up routine?

A. It proves that the audience is biased and helps weed out bad venues.
B. It is a sign that a comedian should probably consider a different career path.
C. It is an essential part of refining a comedian's craft and finding their unique voice.
D. It generates sympathy from the crowd, which can be used to build a dedicated fanbase.

Question 5 of 8

How did reflecting on her grandfather's life help Ali during her early days in New York?

A. His success as a wealthy businessman inspired her to start her own comedy club.
B. His history of extreme poverty and hardship humbled her and gave her the fortitude to endure her cramped apartment.
C. His stories of performing in China gave her specific comedic material that launched her career.
D. His financial inheritance allowed her to focus entirely on comedy without needing a day job.

Question 6 of 8

What did Ali's husband, Justin, do that demonstrated his support for her career when she was filming 'Always Be My Maybe'?

A. He quit his job permanently to become her full-time manager.
B. He wrote most of the jokes for her character in the movie.
C. He shouldered the childcare alone and traveled with their daughters to Vancouver every weekend.
D. He financed the production of the film using his own personal savings.

Question 7 of 8

Why did Ali eventually change her mind and appreciate signing a prenuptial agreement?

A. It guaranteed her a large payout if her comedy career failed.
B. It forced her husband to contribute equally to the household chores.
C. It made her realize the importance of making her own money and not depending on her husband's income.
D. It was a legal requirement for her to perform in certain comedy clubs in California.

Question 8 of 8

What realization did Ali have about motherhood after having children?

A. It closely resembled the leisurely, picture-perfect life she saw on celebrity Instagram feeds.
B. It was relentless and often required forgiving herself for falling short of her own unrealistic expectations.
C. It was much easier than her stand-up career, allowing her to finally relax and focus on baking.
D. It required her to completely abandon her career in order to be a good mother.

Dear Girls — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Ali Wong’s life shows that personal and professional highs and lows are essential for growth.
32 — Nothing is more valuable than seeing the world.
43 — Remember: other people’s ideas about your race and gender do not define you.
54 — The road to “success” is a steep climb.
65 — Remembering where and who you come from can offer wisdom and strength.
76 — Relationships depend on mutual acceptance and support.
87 — Life is not a highlight reel, and it will not always go as planned.
98 — Parenting is no picnic.
109 — Final summary

Dear Girls Summary & Overview

Dear Girls (2019) is a loving and hilarious collection of letters from a mother to her daughters about how to deal with the inevitable challenges of life. Detailing the author’s most embarrassing, unpleasant, and momentous experiences, Dear Girls shows us that simply embracing who you are is the first step to self-fulfillment.

Who Should Listen to Dear Girls?

Aspiring stand-up comedians
Young professionals seeking career advice
New or soon-to-be mothers

About the Author: Ali Wong

Alexandra “Ali” Wong is an actress, stand-up comedian, and writer who is best known for her two Netflix comedy specials Baby Cobra (2016) and Hard Knock Wife (2018). A San Francisco native, Ali is also known for her performance in Always Be My Maybe (2019), which she co-created with Randall Park, and her current role in the ABC television show American Housewife.

Dear Girls

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Dear Girls — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Dear Girls

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Dear Girls — Full Chapter Overview

Dear Girls Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Dear Girls?

About the Author: Ali Wong

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