Sunshine Nails

This "insightful, moving story with striking depth" (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author) follows a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do anything to protect their no-frills nail salon after a new high-end salon opens up—even if it tears the family apart.

Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have built a comfortable life for themselves in Toronto with their family nail salon. But when an ultra-glam chain salon opens across the street, their world is rocked. Complicating matters further, their landlord has jacked up the rent and it seems only a matter of time before they lose their business.

They enlist the help of their daughter, Jessica, who has just returned home after a messy breakup and a messier firing. Together with their son, Dustin, and niece, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. Relationships are put to the test as the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Debbie and Phil must choose: do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?

About the Author

Mai Nguyen is a National Magazine Award-nominated journalist and copywriter who has written for Wired, The Washington Post, The Toronto Star, and several major brands. Raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she now lives in Toronto. Sunshine Nails is her debut novel. 

Reviews

"Nguyen debuts with a glittering story of a family nail salon in Toronto... Nguyen imbues her characters with humanity and nuance, making hay from all their imperfections. Readers are in for a treat." —Publishers Weekly

"Sharp, witty, and warmhearted, Nguyen's debut tackles gentrification, small business ownership, prejudice in the workplace, and—most importantly—the depth of familial ties, and the power of a good manicure." —Shelf Awareness

"Sunshine Nails has been marketed as lighthearted, and it is in many ways – it's funny... and it's a gratifyingly speedy read. But beneath the dust jacket's bright yellows, purples and pinks is a novel of character studies that simmers with questions about work, class, generational divides and the expectations facing refugees making new homes in their asylums." —NPR's Books We Love – Best Books of 2023

Dimensions: 13.49 x 2.03 x 20.96 cm