National Network for Equitable Library Service

Philippine-born Vancouverite Sophia is most grateful for two things: her modest hair salon and Adrian, her mild-mannered fiancé. She is eager to get married, move away from her highly educated but career-frustrated parents, who believe that their daughter can be so much more than a beautician. Then Sophia's estranged friend reaches out from Manila, desperate for help. After a dubious accident, her fiery Auntie Rosy is on the verge of losing the Cine Star Salon-the place where Sophia first felt the call to become a hairstylist. Coming to her auntie's aid is not so easy though. Sophia worries helping might reopen old wounds and threaten the bright future she has planned. Leah Ranada's debut novel is a stirring, rich depiction of the importance of women's work and the ties that bind across oceans and generations. Recalling the work of Doretta Lau, Alex Leslie, and Lauralyn Chow, The Cine Star Salon marks the entry of a vital new voice in Canadian literature.