This month’s Author Spotlight is author, Van Hoang! Van joins us to discuss Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon, her new humorous and heartwarming middle grade novel where one girl’s summer punishment becomes a mission to save a struggling nail salon and bring her family together.
★ “A sparkling exploration of identity and belonging.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
What inspired you to write Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon? Where did the idea first come from?
Van Hoang: When I was in high school, my parents thought it was a good character-building activity to send me to work at an auntie’s nail salon. I’m not really sure why they felt I needed this punishment but it was indeed life-changing in both good and bad ways, and I find myself thinking back on those summers fondly. Lately, I’ve also been feeling a sudden and inexplicable pull towards my home country, this irresistible desire to see the rivers and bridges and waterfalls, a strong craving for Vietnamese coffee and coconuts, and to be surrounded by the cringey jokes of my aunties and uncles.
Writing a book involves spending enormous amounts of time with the characters in the world you create, and that was what I really wanted—to hang out again with my aunties and uncles in a setting that I still remember for both its wonderful memories and its difficult challenges. I wanted to capture the bad days with its grueling hours but I also wanted to show the slow afternoons with its games of 13 and sitting around exchanging stories. In Vietnamese we have a phrase, chia sẻ, which directly translates to “share” but really means that you are dividing up your burdens among your loved ones. I have always found this idea so uplifting—that your friends and family are there to help carry each other’s burdens, and that with them on your side, the weight might not be so heavy.
You’ve written novels for both middle grade readers and for adults. What is your favorite part about crafting middle grade stories?
Van: Middle grade allows me to fully unleash my inner demon. Tweens are at that magical age where they’re still discovering who they want to be, making new friends, and learning about the world. Middle grade stories always feel like we’re about to step through a magical portal, always on the brink of possibility where anything can happen.
This book also marks a new venture into contemporary fiction in your middle grade work. What inspired you to write a contemporary middle-grade novel instead of middle-grade fantasy? How did writing a work of contemporary fiction differ from writing fantasy?
Van: I really felt like I just needed to write this story. Even though it felt weird not to include some sort of fantastical element, the words just poured out, emerging from those summers I buried deep in my subconscious. Strangely, writing a contemporary novel didn’t feel much different from my fantasy novels because I still have to do the same research and world-building, especially for a closed setting like a nail salon. I just had stricter parameters for what could happen. Then again, maybe it didn’t feel so different because aunties are a magic all on their own.
Do you have a favorite scene from Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon?
Van: At one point in the novel, Domi discovers a competing nail salon and invites her friend Bobby to spy on them and discover all their secrets. I really enjoyed playing espionage and all the fun involved in trying not to get caught, but also the relaxing pampering I got to experience vicariously through my characters.
What did your creative process look like when you began writing this book?
Van: I always start out by knowing who my main character is, what she looks like, and what her goals are, but I knew that the cast of secondary characters was going to be big, and each person was going to have many of their own conflicts that would intertwine with those at work. I love brainstorming with an analog notebook and using all my colorful markers and stickers. For the secondary characters, I played around with the Writer’s Brainstorming Kit which is a book that comes with a list of character traits and prompts that you can use with a set of playing cards to randomize your character’s background. This kit is fun to play with, but I use it as a jumping-off point to dive deeper into each character’s backstory.
Can you share a teacher or librarian who has inspired you?
Van: As a librarian, I work with a lot of librarians, so I’m kind of scared to not name all of them! All the librarians I’ve ever worked with have been incredibly inspiring and have truly shown me how wonderful libraries are and how the impact of stories can help shape someone’s future.
What advice would you give to aspiring young writers?
Van: Start now! You don’t need to wait for the perfect story or the perfect character or the perfect time in your life to happen to write the story you want. As dismal as it may sound, that perfect thing just doesn’t exist, but waiting around for it might prevent you from writing the thing that ends up changing your life.
What do you hope that readers take away from Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon?
Van: I want them to see how cool aunties and uncles are, especially those in nail salons, and I want to show the value in learning from those who have lived longer lives than you, and the magic of talking through difficulties and simply being together, and the beauty of learning and getting better at something, especially when it’s hard.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Van Hoang earned her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of New Mexico and her master’s in Library Information Science at San Jose State University. She is the author of novels for adults and young readers including Girl Giant and the Monkey King, Girl Giant and the Jade War, and Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon. She was born in Vietnam, grew in up Orange County, California, and now resides in Los Angeles.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon by Van Hoang
Ages 8-12
A Junior Library Guild Selection!
A funny and heartwarming middle grade novel about first jobs and second chances where one girl’s summer punishment becomes a mission to save a struggling nail salon and bring her family together—perfect for fans of Front Desk and Millionaires for the Month.
Twelve-year-old Domi Pham had the perfect summer planned: lounging by the pool, making art with her best friend, and celebrating her escape from seventh grade. But one costly mistake puts her dream summer on hold. Instead, she finds herself deep in debt to her parents, and shipped off to New Mexico to work at her Auntie Q’s nail salon for the next three months.
At first, Domi is miserable—surrounded by nosy aunties, constant nail polish fumes, and endless work. But as she gets to know Auntie Q and the people in the salon, she starts to see their struggles and resilience in a new light. When she discovers that the salon is at risk of closing, Domi puts her creativity and determination to the test to help save it.
PRAISE FOR AUNTIE Q’S GOLDEN CLAWS NAIL SALON
Two starred reviews!
★ “A sparkling exploration of identity and belonging.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “Hoang adds nuance and depth to the “summer away from home” trope. . . a gentle reminder that everyone learns from one another in relationships. 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.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“Full of tenderness, humor, and resilience, Domi’s summer shows how success and ambitions thrive when they are not pursued alone.”—BCCB
“This contemporary coming-of-age story is uplifting while also, via the adults in Domi’s family, providing a glimpse into the challenging experiences of first generation Vietnamese Americans.”—The Horn Book