Susan Lieu is a Vietnamese-American author, playwright and performer who tells stories that refuse to be forgotten. A daughter of nail salon workers, she took her autobiographical solo theatre show "140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother" on a 10-city national tour with sold out premieres and accolades from the L.A. Times, NPR and American Theatre. Eight months pregnant, she premiered her sequel "Over 140 LBS" as the headliner for ACT Theatre’s SoloFest. Within one year she held 60 performances to over 7,000 people. Her award-winning work has been featured at Bumbershoot, Wing Luke Museum, The Moth Mainstage, On The Boards, The World Economic Forum, RISK!, CAATA ConFest and Viet Film Fest, and she has spoken at more than a dozen universities around the country. 

She serves as an Artists Up mentor, Artist Trust instructor, co-host of "The Model Minority Moms" podcast, and board member for international NGO Asylum Access. As an activist, she worked with Consumer Watchdog to pass a law to raise medical malpractice caps. Susan and her sister co-founded Socola Chocolatier, an artisanal chocolate company based in San Francisco. She is a proud alumnus of Harvard College, Yale School of Management, Coro, Hedgebrook and Vashon Artist Residency. 

Susan lives with her husband and son in Seattle where they enjoy mushroom hunting, croissants and big family gatherings. THE MANICURIST'S DAUGHTER is her first book.

Books by Susan Lieu

The Manicurist's Daughter: A Memoir

by Susan Lieu - Memoir, Nonfiction

Refugees from the Vietnam War, Susan Lieu’s family escaped to California in the 1980s after five failed attempts. Upon arrival, Susan’s mother set up two successful nail salons and orchestrated every success --- until Susan was 11. That year, her mother died from a botched tummy tuck. For the next 20 years, Susan navigated a series of cascading questions alone: Why did the most perfect person in her life want to change her body? Why would no one tell her about her mother’s life in Vietnam? And how did this surgeon, who preyed on Vietnamese immigrants, go on operating after her mother’s death? Sifting through depositions, tracking down the surgeon’s family, and enlisting the help of spirit channelers, Susan uncovers the painful truth of her mother, herself and the impossible ideal of beauty.