Choose a Color

The debut novel by Suvankham Thammavongsa, a winner of the O. Henry Award and a two-time recipient of the Giller Prize. Former boxer Ning runs a nail salon. Here she is just another Susan: that’s what they call all the female workers so that clients don’t struggle with exotic names. The privileged world looks down on those like them. On this summer day, like any other, the Susans file, cut, paint, and pluck. They listen, smile, and nod, and they endlessly joke among themselves, discussing and mocking the clients in a language no one understands.
Ning sees people through and through. Behind her unremarkable appearance lies a woman with a sharp mind and a deep, complex character. She is obsessed with the rhythm and challenges of her work, but at the same time, she is haunted by memories of unfulfilled dreams and missed opportunities. She tries to navigate the intricacies of relationships among the other Susans, whose fears and desires are hidden behind the gossip they constantly exchange. As the workday comes to an end, the contradictions between Ning's two personas—an anonymous manicurist and a perceptive observer of her own life—intensify.
This is a biting, remarkably precise, and witty story, the events of which take place over just one working day but reflect a whole layer of pressing social issues. The novel immerses readers in a closed female world with its own laws, language, habits, and rituals, the key of which remains two cherished words: «Choose a Color».