Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead - by Mai Nguyen (Hardcover)

About the Book

"All Cleo Dang has ever wanted was to be a mother. The day she discovers she's pregnant is the happiest of her life, especially when she learns that her best friend, Paloma, is also expecting. It's a wonderful surprise and together, they enjoy their pregnancies. But when they both go to the hospital in labor, something goes very, very wrong. Paloma comes home with a baby. Cleo does not. Now a grieving Cleo must navigate life after losing her baby. She alienates herself from the world, especially her best friend who is living the life she so desperately wanted. Forced to quit her demanding job as an actuary, Cleo manages to find a job at a funeral home where she meets a revolving door of bereaved locals and discovers the power of confronting grief"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A darkly humorous yet uplifting novel about a grieving mother who starts working at a funeral home and discovers that the best way to honor the dead is to live--from the author of the "insightful, moving" (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author) Sunshine Nails.

All Cleo Dang has ever wanted is to be a mother. The day she discovers she's pregnant is the happiest of her life, especially when she learns that her best friend, Paloma, is also expecting. It's a wonderful surprise, and together, they enjoy their pregnancies. But when they both go to the hospital in labor, something goes very, very wrong. Paloma comes home with a baby. Cleo does not.

Ravaged by grief, Cleo must now navigate life after losing her baby. She alienates herself from the world, particularly her best friend, who is living the life she so desperately wanted. Forced to take leave from her demanding job as an actuary, Cleo manages to find work at a funeral home, where she meets a revolving cast of bereaved locals and discovers the power of confronting grief.

Darkly humorous yet uplifting, Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead follows a grieving mother who starts working at a funeral home and discovers that the best way to honor the dead is to live.

Review Quotes

"Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead is a window into grief: its ability to make us our worst selves, but also how, over time, it can turn us into a person who sees life for how precious and beautiful and exquisitely improbable it truly is. Nguyen's writing is open and vulnerable and so very raw. I cried a lot, but I also laughed and was reminded that grief is a journey that never ends but shifts and morphs and should be tended to as long as is needed. It is a testament to the healing power of connection, and I'm so glad this book exists." --Charlene Carr, author of We Rip the World Apart

"Propulsive and unflinching, Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead captures the depth of human loss with the tenacity of life's hopes. When her newborn child dies, Cleo finds herself in an impossible search to make meaning out of tragedy and profound grief. Told with exceptional candor, heartbreak, and humor, Nguyen's novel evokes a complex spectrum of emotions, causing readers to pause and reflect on their own love, loss, and other life experiences long after reading." --Ann Y.K. Choi, author of All Things Under the Moon

"It's rare to read a book knowing that it will stay with you long after it's finished like this. It had me wiping away tears and laughing within the same page. Mai Nguyen writes about grief with humour, deep insight, and incredible honesty. It's a beautiful story of a mother's love, sorrow, joy, and human connection." --Natalie Sue, bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well

"Deeply emotional and unexpectedly funny. Nguyen masterfully balances heartbreaking vulnerability with wit and hopefulness. A truly beautiful novel and window into a mom's profound love for her baby." --Emily Austin, bestselling author of We Could Be Rats

Praise for Sunshine Nails

"Filled with heart and humor, Sunshine Nails is an insightful, moving story with striking depth, taking on gentrification, family expectations, and generational differences. You will be rooting for the Tran family through every risk and sacrifice they make to save their salon, and ultimately themselves. Mai Nguyen has proven herself to be a real standout." --Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Soto is Back

"The story of the Tran family is full of zany, hilarious fun -- but it's also poignant and told with care. Sunshine Nails made me laugh, cry, and think deeply about culture, family, and the ties that bind. What a witty and engaging debut -- I was thoroughly charmed!"--Marissa Stapley, New York Times-bestselling author of Lucky

"Nguyen debuts with a glittering story of a family nail salon in Toronto...Nguyen imbues her characters with humanity and nuance, making hay from all their imperfections. Readers are in for a treat."--Publishers Weekly

"Sharp, witty, and warmhearted, Nguyen's debut tackles gentrification, small business ownership, prejudice in the workplace, and--most importantly--the depth of familial ties, and the power of a good manicure."--Shelf Awareness

"Sunshine Nails has been marketed as lighthearted, and it is in many ways -- it's funny...and it's a gratifyingly speedy read. But beneath the dust jacket's bright yellows, purples and pinks is a novel of character studies that simmers with questions about work, class, generational divides and the expectations facing refugees making new homes in their asylums."--NPR

About the Author

Mai Nguyen is a Vietnamese Canadian author whose debut novel, Sunshine Nails, was longlisted for Canada Reads and named one of the best books of 2023 by NPR and CBC. Her journalism has appeared in Wired, The Washington Post, and The Toronto Star. Raised in Halifax, she now lives in Toronto with her husband, daughter, and French bulldog.