NPR's Book of the Day: "Pick a Color" by Suvankam Tamavongsa
Air date: October 13, 2025
Host: Linda Holmes (filling in for Andrew Limbong)
Guest: Suvankam Tamavongsa
Interviewer: Scott Simon
Episode Overview
In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, Linda Holmes introduces Pick a Color, the debut novel by acclaimed Canadian writer Suvankam Tamavongsa. The novel unspools over the course of a single day in an unnamed city's nail salon, focusing on Ning, the salon manager, and exploring themes of loneliness, invisibility, and everyday resilience. Tamavongsa joins Scott Simon to discuss how her own life and careful observations informed the book, and reveals the deeper experiences of workers who are so often overlooked.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
The Setting: A Salon Where Everyone is "Susan"
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Suvankam describes the nail salon, nicknamed Susan's, as a "brightly lit box" where all employees wear name tags reading "Susan" for ease and anonymity.
"I live in a world of Susans. I got name tags for everyone who works at this nail salon and on everyone is printed the name Susan. So many girls come and go. I don't want to bother getting new name tags each time."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [01:31] -
The choice speaks to how clients rarely notice or remember the staff as individuals, emphasizing both invisibility and practicality.
Ning's Perspective: From Prize Fighter to Nail Salon Manager
- Main character Ning draws on her experiences as a former prize fighter to navigate both boxing and nail salon work.
- The discipline and self-protection of boxing inform how she interacts with clients, her vigilance in reading people’s intentions, and maintaining personal boundaries.
"Things she learned from boxing, like controlling the center line... It's sort of the same way in a nail salon when someone walks in onto the floor, you have to read what they want, what their intentions are, and you react in that moment."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [02:31]
Bringing the Salon Workers’ Inner Worlds to Light
- The conversation highlights how salon workers are frequently rendered “invisible” in literature and real life, often little more than side characters.
- Tamavongsa wants readers to truly step into the perspective of a nail salon worker, exposing their interiority and community.
"A nail salon worker... they're often seen as an invisible figure, a side glance, a prop even. But in the novel, you are made to... feel like you are a nail salon worker."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [03:51]
Loneliness, Solitude, and Connection
- The book revolves around loneliness, both Ning’s and her clients’. Even among others, there is a lack of true connection.
- Ning’s emotional state is nuanced: she is both solitary and sometimes lonely, but she takes comfort in routine and her work.
"She loves being alone and she loves her work. She loves that she has a place to go to every day. Every time the phone rings, her heart beats because she says, ‘someone out there wants me. Today.’"
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [04:55]
Tamavongsa’s Personal Story and Writing Motivation
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Suvankam Tamavongsa shares her background: born in a Thai refugee camp to Lao parents, who fled across borders and rebuilt their lives in Canada.
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Discusses how her parents’ lack of formal education but profound intelligence inspired the book’s themes.
"My mom worked in a cake factory. It's really grueling work. She is incredibly intelligent because she can take work that would destroy someone else's soul and see joy in that."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [06:29] -
The book draws a distinction between knowledge and intelligence: knowledge can be acquired, but intelligence is what you do with it.
Symbolism and Memorable Scenes: The Pigeon
- Scott Simon brings up a poignant scene where Ning sees a pigeon killed in the street. Ning’s reaction reflects her empathy and need for recognition.
- Ning internalizes that if something happened to her, at least her coworker would notice and acknowledge her existence.
"She says to herself, you know, if that happened to me, I would have somebody who walks around me like that, and that would be my coworker. She would recognize and know that I'm gone. And that's how I know that I'm alive."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [07:53]
Visibility and Notice of the "Susans"
- Suvankam closes by emphasizing the interior richness of her characters, who may be invisible to outsiders but are seen by each other and have meaningful lives.
"Even though we may feel invisible... we're really not. There's someone out there who's noticing you... you are alive for them."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [08:34]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On the uniform name 'Susan':
"None of our clients notice. They come in and we are ready and set to work. That's all that matters to them."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [01:31] -
On invisibility in literature:
"When we do encounter [nail salon workers] in literature, they're often seen as an invisible figure, a side glance, a prop even."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [03:51] -
On difference between solitude and loneliness:
"I think she is lonely, but she's solitary. She loves being alone and she loves her work."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [04:55] -
On parental intelligence:
"She can take work that would destroy someone else's soul and see joy in that."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [06:29] -
On being seen:
"There's someone out there who's noticing you, who pays attention to you, who saw some detail about you that day, and you are alive for them."
— Suvankam Tamavongsa [08:34]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:02 – Linda Holmes introduces the episode and novel’s premise
- 01:31 – Suvankam Tamavongsa on naming all workers "Susan"
- 02:31 – Connection between boxing and salon work
- 03:51 – Discussion on the invisibility of nail salon workers
- 04:23 – Themes of loneliness and observation of clients
- 04:55 – The complexity of Ning’s internal life (lonely vs solitary)
- 05:23 – Tamavongsa’s personal history and influence
- 06:29 – Reflections on knowledge vs intelligence and her mother’s work
- 07:53 – Symbolic scene with the pigeon
- 08:34 – On visibility and being noticed
Takeaway
Pick a Color uses the focused lens of a single day in a nail salon—and the life of its manager, Ning—to explore nuanced emotional states, social invisibility, and the quiet dignity of everyday work. Suvankam Tamavongsa’s lived experience imbues the narrative with authenticity and compassion for those whose stories are often overlooked. The episode offers an intimate look at how seemingly ordinary lives are rich with meaning, longing, and intelligence.