Select Page

Rebecca Anne Nguyen


Rebecca Anne Nguyen (b. 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

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

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 stage 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

Fiction

  • The 23rd Hero (2024) ISBN 979-8-9895934-1-5

Nonfiction

  • Where War Ends: A Combat Veteran's 2,700-Mile Journey to Heal — Recovering From PTSD and Moral Injury Through Meditation (2019) ISBN 978-1608685998

References

  1. ^ "University of Miami commencement 2006. UM Commencement Ceremony Collection. Retrieved 2025-02-23".
  2. ^ "Jones, Meg (10 December 2019). "Iraq veteran featured in documentary about walk from Wisconsin to California publishes memoir." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 23 February 2025".
  3. ^ "Kramer Bussel, Rachel (2018-11-12). "Why War Books By Veterans Will Always Be Popular." Forbes. Retrieved 2025-02-24". Forbes.
  4. ^ "Garrett, Lynn (2019-06-17). "Making it Personal: Memoirs of Faith Reassure Readers." Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved 2025-02-24" (PDF).
  5. ^ ""2019 Foreword INDIES Winners in Autobiography & Memoir (Adult Nonfiction)." Foreword Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-24".
  6. ^ ""Where War Ends: Winner of a 2019 Foreword INDIES Silver Book of the Year Award." New World Library. Book description. Retrieved 2025-02-24".
  7. ^ a b "Schubert, Brianna (2024-04-18). "'Hypotheticals' Invites Audiences to Explore Life's Gray Areas." Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-24". 18 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Fischer, Mike (2023-05-17). "The Reality of an Illusion: Reflections on Rebecca Anne Nguyen's HYPOTHETICALS." World Premiere Wisconsin. Retrieved 2025-02-24". 17 May 2023.
  9. ^ ""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".
  10. ^ ""2023 Winner: Hypotheticals by Rebecca Anne Nguyen." Wild Imaginings Waco. 2023-10-34. Retrieved 2025-02-24".
  11. ^ a b Hoover, Carl (2024-11-07). “Waco theater festival showcases new plays, 1st musical reading.” Waco Tribune Herald.
  12. ^ "Busch, Jason (2025-02-01). "Mystery to Me turns the page." In Business Madison. Retrieved 2025-02-24". February 2025.
  13. ^ "Bossick, Karen (2024-12-14). "Rebecca Anne Nguyen to Discuss Readers' Choice Award Winning Book." Eye on Sun Valley. Retrieved 2025-02-24".
  14. ^ "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".
  15. ^ "Giorgi, Raiza (2024-12-13). "Award-winning author Rebecca Anne Nguyen to present novel." Idaho Mountain Express. Retrieved 2025-02-24". 13 December 2024.
  16. ^ ""2025 Audie Awards® Finalists." Audio Publisher's Association. 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2025-02-24".
  17. ^ "Tagen-Dye, Carly (2025-01-22). "Cynthia Erivo, Barbra Streisand and More Among Finalists for 30th Annual Audie Awards." People Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-24".

Further reading

"Exclusive interview with Rebecca Anne Nguyen" She Reads editors. (2024-08-01)

"Official website"