I didn’t think that I could read this book. It would be too much for me, as a fatherless daughter, as a woman whose parent was also taken from her with no rhyme or reason. And yet, here I am, having read it and having been deeply and unexpectedly moved by it. THE MANICURIST’S DAUGHTER is an exploration of grief, of intergenerational trauma, and the weight of inherited histories from our families. There is also a lot here about being a woman, navigating body image, and the idea of somehow being too much and yet not enough. Susan Lieu’s writing is somehow profound and poetic but also familiar, like coming home. I am thankful for her vulnerability and determination to tell this story. I prefer not to rate memoirs (because holy cow, what a thing to judge!) but in this case, it’s absolutely all the stars. Thank you to Celadon for the advance readers copy. All opinions are entirely my own.