Mani/Pedi: A True-Life Rags to Riches Story

(Paperback)

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Description

When Saigon fell in 1975 there were 125,000 US-sponsored Vietnamese refugees.

In 2017 more than 1.3 million Vietnamese reside in the US

Today the nail industry is worth $8 billion, and 80 percent of nail technicians in Southern California are Vietnamese (51 percent across the US).

AUDIENCE:

Immigrant women

Vietnamese women and women of Vietnamese descent

Women who get mani/pedis

Children of refugees/immigrants

Readers interested in the Vietnam War

Reviews

2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Silver Winner in Biography

"A captivating and inspiring immigration story."

--Kirkus Reviews

"Not many of us can imagine this: fleeing your home in a war-torn country in the dead of night, climbing into a tiny boat and being stranded at sea for weeks, then becoming a refugee. Charlie Vo risked everything to build a better life in America, having no idea that she would be instrumental in democratizing the American nail industry. This book is a wonderful glimpse into the life of a Vietnamese 'boat person' who truly lived the American dream. A book you will think about long after you turn the last page."

--Victoria Christopher Murray, national best-selling author of The Ex Files

Author Bio

Born to a teen mother and a child of the foster care system for four years before she was adopted, Dr. Krista Driver started out as the epitome of the "underdog." Today a licensed marriage and family therapist with a doctorate in psychology, Dr. Driver has dedicated her career to working with the most vulnerable in her community. A perpetual observer with an innate curiosity for other people's stories, when she stumbled across an incredibly fascinating tale of one woman's escape from Vietnam, she felt compelled to write about it. It all began in a nail salon in Orange, California with a simple question: "Where are you from" As the CEO of a nonprofit counseling center that specializes in providing mental health services to women and children, Dr. Driver sees Mani/Pedi as a natural extension of her work.