First published 2025
Ning once fought as a boxer, but now she operates a nail salon where wealthy clients know her only as Susan. During one summer day, she and her fellow workers perform their familiar routines of buffing, clipping, and polishing. The customers chat while Ning listens and nods, invisible to them as anything more than hired help. Yet beneath her service role, Ning possesses sharp intelligence and deep thoughts about her circumstances. She finds herself caught between two versions of herself: the anonymous worker her clients see and the complex woman she actually is. As she observes the power structures around her and exchanges quiet conversations with her coworkers, tensions build. The day progresses and Ning's dual existence becomes harder to maintain. Her brilliant mind clashes with the world's refusal to see her as anything beyond a service provider, leading toward a moment when she must confront how privilege treats women like her.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: dual-identity, fish-out-of-water, social-commentary
Setting: Ning
Period: Summer
192 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company
Content warnings: sexism