February 1, 2023
When the Toronto-based family nail salon of Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran is threatened by the fancy chain salon that pops up across the street, it's the younger generation to the rescue. Daughter Jessica returns home after mishaps in work and love and joins with hard-driving brother Dustin and recent immigrant cousin Thuy to find a way to undermine the competition. Eventually, the parents question whether this scheming is right and whether it's worth undermining the family to save the salon. Prepub Alert.
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May 1, 2023
Nguyen debuts with a glittering story of a family nail salon in Toronto. Matriarch Debbie Tran absentmindedly clicks on a one-star review of her business, Sunshine Nails, which sends her into a chaotic shame spiral about the quality of her English and of her own “unkempt” nails, both subjects of the unsatisfied customer’s blistering screed. Making matters worse, a slick salon chain named Take Ten opens a store across the street, riding a wave of gentrification in the neighborhood. Debbie, desperate to compete with the new salon, recruits her daughter, Jessica, who’s recently returned home after a breakup, to help turn Sunshine Nails around. Debbie also starts spying on Take Ten bigwig Savannah Shaw, paranoid that Savannah is sabotaging her. Meanwhile, Debbie’s husband, Phil, is up to his own shenanigans, securing a business loan from a sketchy associate, prompting readers to wonder how far the Trans will go to hold on to their legacy and whether they’ll tarnish it in the process. Nguyen imbues her characters with humanity and nuance, making hay from all their imperfections. Readers are in for a treat.
July 1, 2023
When Jessica Tran catches her fianc�, Brett, cheating on her, she gives up her L.A. life in favor of the comforts of home and her parents' nail salon. But home isn't as stable as Jessica thought. A fancy new place opening down the block plus some persistent money issues, and the Trans may not be able to keep Sunshine Nails afloat for much longer. An infusion of new talent, new passion, and some slightly dicey financial footwork could lead to a new life for the Trans, Jessica included. Author Mai Nguyen's debut novel explores the tension between parents' expectations and their children's desire for independence, and the gleaming allure of a fresh start. Nguyen immerses readers in the precarious world of small-business ownership, highlighting the cultural distance between the elder Trans and their American-born offspring. Fans of Roselle Lim, Celeste Ng, and Sonya Cobb will appreciate Nguyen's keen observations of the immigrant experience, giving a clear and compelling voice to the characters otherwise hidden behind manicure tables and pedicure chairs.
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