Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon

Gr 5-8–Rising seventh grader Dominique (Domi) Pham’s hopes of a summer spent hanging with friends and making artwork are dashed by an unfortunate mix-up, and now she must spend her entire summer vacation working at Auntie Queyen’s nail salon in Albuquerque to repay her parents. Earning any money proves next to impossible for Domi whose artistic talent doesn’t extend to nail painting, and the salon’s sparse clientele must be shared amongst many Vietnamese aunties and uncles, so Domi is lucky if she clears a few dollars a day. Auntie Q’s once-bustling business is being carved away by a more technologically savvy, glitzy competitor; Domi convinces Q to update and rebrand. Domi makes a big misstep when she does some competitor reconnaissance, upsetting Auntie Q. In the aftermath, Domi’s mom rushes to ­Albuquerque where old wounds between the estranged sisters prove difficult to heal. Hoangadds nuance and depth to the “summer away from home” trope with her description of the Vietnamese service industry in America as a cultural community defined by tireless work, entrepreneurship, and resilience. The characters are authentically imperfect, and some of the most significant growth happens for the adults of the story who are processing the trauma of immigrating as childhood r­efugees. Domi’s story is a gentle reminder that everyone learns from one another in relationships—mothers from daughters, aunties from nieces, children from adults—and that the strength of community helps everyone. Sure, there are lessons to be learned here but the levity peppered throughout will draw in middle grade fans of Kelly Yang, Remi Lai, and Lily Lamotte.