A tender and funny debut about a Vietnamese Canadian family who will do whatever it takes to keep their no-frills nail salon afloat after a multimillion-dollar chain opens across the street.
Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have made a good life for themselves in Toronto, but their landlord has just jacked up the rent of their family-run nail salon, Sunshine Nails, and it’s way more than they can afford. When Take Ten, a glamorous chain offering a more luxurious salon experience, moves into the neighborhood, the Tran family is terrified of losing their business—and the community they’ve built around them.
But daughter Jessica comes to their rescue. She’s just moved back home after a messy breakup and an even messier firing. Together with her workaholic brother, Dustin, and recently immigrated cousin, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. But as the line between right and wrong gets blurred, relationships are put to the test, and Debbie and Phil must choose: Do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?
Full of memorable manicures and even more memorable characters, Sunshine Nails is a humorous and heartfelt novel about family, resilience, and what it means to start over.
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“A fresh, fun take on family dynamics and the secrets we keep to protect each other. Well-defined characters and deft navigation of the highs and lows of the immigrant experience make this book a delightful read. Nguyen’s writing sparkles—I can’t wait to tell everyone about this!” — SIERRA GODFREY, author of A Very Typical Family
Overall rating: 4.75 / 5 from 8 reviews.
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Reviews
One and done
"Cute storey but better from a library, not an investment"
— Heather (4/5)
Hits Close to Home
"This book was fun, entertaining and most importantly, it hit close to home. Being the first generation born and raised in Canada by asian immigrant parents, I definitely felt represented in this book"
— Edward (5/5)
Finding a home in Canada
"The Trans come from Vietnam to raise their family, build a business and find a home. This story gives the reader insight into the struggles of everyday people doing extraordinary things to survive and thrive to live their version of the Canadian dream."
— Sarah B. (4/5)
Buy this book!
"This was a really great book! I loved the story and the location was familiar being in Toronto! The story is interesting about a Vietnamese family operating a nail salon then the “big swanky”salon sets up shop on the same street! It’s funny and heartfelt. I highly recommend!"
— Linda (5/5)
Sunshine Nails
"Was pleasantly surprised with this book. Enjoyed reading and was an easy read."
— JackMac (5/5)
Excellent book
"Heard an interview with the author, so far it has been a very well written book."
— Sarah (5/5)
For all those who visit nail salons bi weekly.
"Excellent read. A quick book for night reading or day time vacation. Good story and it was relatable. Enjoyed that it was based in Toronto."
— Charlotte (5/5)
Fun read
"What a fun read so far!"
— Aimee B. (5/5)
Q&A
Published date: Jul 04, 2023
Language: English
No. of Pages: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781668011256
Dimensions:
6.0" W x
1.0" L x
9.0" H
Mai Nguyen is a Vietnamese Canadian author whose debut novel, Sunshine Nails, was longlisted for Canada Reads and named one of the best books of 2023 by NPR and CBC. Her journalism has appeared in Wired, TheWashington Post, and TheToronto Star. Raised in Halifax, she now lives in Toronto with her husband, daughter, and French bulldog.
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