Taiwanese-Canadian writer Amanda Sung's debut novel originated from her master's thesis, initially written as a memoir and now reimagined as fiction that follows three Asian Canadian immigrant women: Elizabeth, Aurora, and Lily.
Born in Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the trio's lives embody the multicultural fabric of Vancouver, where the author grew up as a 'satellite child' without parents. Each character carries part of her own life, weaving a collective narrative both intimate and relatable.
Think Sex and the City—if Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha were Asian Canadian immigrants navigating not just love and career, but the complexities of intergenerational baggage, cultural curveballs, and all the gendered nonsense the world throws at them. This isn't a sob story—it's the sisterhood and sass you love, with a sharper edge and a deeper heart.
At its core, this is a story of unbreakable friendship. All aspects of each protagonist's life—family, love, and career—get shattered, rebuilt, and rebuilt again. As each heroine confronts her darkest fear, their transformation demonstrates a broader possibility: that even in the midst of everything, there is always room for redefinition and resilience.
Get ready for a wild ride where identity and dignity don't just survive—they steal the show!
Taiwanese-Canadian writer Amanda Sung's debut novel originated from her master's thesis, initially written as a memoir and now reimagined as fiction that follows three Asian Canadian immigrant women: Elizabeth, Aurora, and Lily.
Born in Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the trio's lives embody the multicultural fabric of Vancouver, where the author grew up as a 'satellite child' without parents. Each character carries part of her own life, weaving a collective narrative both intimate and relatable.
Think Sex and the City—if Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha were Asian Canadian immigrants navigating not just love and career, but the complexities of intergenerational baggage, cultural curveballs, and all the gendered nonsense the world throws at them. This isn't a sob story—it's the sisterhood and sass you love, with a sharper edge and a deeper heart.
At its core, this is a story of unbreakable friendship. All aspects of each protagonist's life—family, love, and career—get shattered, rebuilt, and rebuilt again. As each heroine confronts her darkest fear, their transformation demonstrates a broader possibility: that even in the midst of everything, there is always room for redefinition and resilience.
Get ready for a wild ride where identity and dignity don't just survive—they steal the show!
Elizabeth Park leaned forward, her heart racing with anticipation. “Do you see her?” she whispered, craning her neck across the sea of black robes and mortarboards filling the Chan Centre at the University of British Columbia.
Aurora Zhang squinted in concentration, her glossy dark hair catching the auditorium lights as she scanned the rows of graduates. When she tossed it back—revealing cheekbones that could have been sculpted by a Renaissance master—she spotted their target and stifled a giggle.
“That one,” she exclaimed, pointing at a petite figure stumbling slightly as her oversized robe swayed with each step, her cap tilted askew.
When the dean announced the Master of Journalism graduates, Elizabeth sprang to her feet and burst forth with rapturous applause. Her eyes glistened with ineffable adoration when Lily Kuo tottered forward with determined steps, her small frame nearly swallowed by the billowing robe. As she approached the chancellor, a familiar dimple appeared—the one that always emerged when she was trying not to smile too broadly.
Aurora playfully nudged. “Do you remember the first time you saw me cry?”
Elizabeth’s understated elegance—gentle jawline, symmetrical features, glass skin that seemed lit from within—contrasted with Aurora’s more striking presence.
“How could I forget?” she replied, sitting back down with a spirited smirk, wiping the corner of her eye. “You broke down in tears the moment you saw what my dad did.” Aurora glanced over. “Does he know you’re back from Korea?”
Elizabeth’s gaze remained fixed on the stage. “Nope.” A bitter laugh escaped as she continued, “It’s comforting to know Lily’s parents aren’t here, either. Makes me feel like I’m not the only one with a lousy father.”
Aurora reached over, her thumb brushing a phantom bruise on familiar skin. “Look on the bright side, though,” she sighed, her voice caught on childhood memory. “At least you two have fathers you can call lousy.”
Elizabeth recoiled slightly, as if struck, the program booklet crumpling in her grip. “You’re not wrong.” The stage lights dimmed as her eyelids slammed shut. “We’re all dealt different cards in life. Just have to find a way to stay strong.”
“We’re already very, very lucky, babe,” Aurora looked over, her eyes crinkling at the edges. “None of us has ever had to be strong alone because we have each other.”
“Well, remember what Lily said that night you two drove to my old place on North Road?” Elizabeth reminded her, their hands intertwined. “We’re soulmates, just like the girls in Sex and the City.”
Aurora rested her head on her friend’s shoulder, taking in the moment, reflecting on how far they had all come—years later, still soulmates.
***
Shortly after the final name was called, the crowd commenced shuffling out onto the lush campus grounds. The Rose Garden, a tapestry of colour and fragrance, unfurled before them. The meticulously manicured lawns and riotous blooms provided a picturesque backdrop for their reunion.
When the view of English Bay came into sight, the hues of turquoise and jade, along with the beauty surrounding them, Lily gushed, “This is perfect,” reaching for her phone. The air was filled with the constant click of camera shutters as the trio activated their impromptu selfie mode, capturing this milestone moment from every angle imaginable.
Elizabeth leaned against the stone walls of the Rose Garden, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. As she exhaled, a contented smile blossomed on her face. “I miss the air in Vancouver, it’s the best in the world.”
“Would you like to move back at last for the best air and friends in the world?” Aurora teased, her eyes widened with hope.
Where Elizabeth was poised, Lily was endearingly awkward—her hands conducting invisible orchestras as she spoke, her face utterly incapable of deception. Yet, much like Aurora’s arresting beauty, her impossibly expressive eyes left immediate impressions. Not of perfection, but of pure authenticity paired with an irrepressible warmth that made strangers want to befriend her instantly.
After pacing along the garden path, Lily paused mid-step, her foot crushing a fallen rose petal. “Why don’t you stay longer? Your ticket is one-way anyway,” she continued, her demeanour brimming with enthusiasm. “Let’s go to an open house downtown right now!”
Elizabeth added, barely containing her nostalgic sentiments, “I think about those cute townhouses on Seymour sometimes . . . the ones with the little gardens . . . we used to plan our lives around them . . .”
The collective daydream prompted a wave of exhilaration. The trio erupted into a chorus of high-pitched squeals as their faces lit with joy. Elizabeth briefly forgot about the story behind her one-way ticket, her hand flying to her chest as she laughed, caught up in the moment.
As their excitement settled, Elizabeth’s smile faltered slightly. She had rehearsed this conversation in her head a dozen times, but now, standing here with her best friends, her practised words transformed into thorns, sharp and unwieldy.
For a moment, a pang of guilt crept up her spine, much like the ivy climbing the garden walls. She wanted their joy to last a little longer before her news broke it. She knew what she had to say would forever alter the mood, but there was no way around it.
Elizabeth bit her lip as she shared the update. “I’m meeting Austin in San Jose, and together we’ll fly back to Korea from SFO.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear—a nervous tell. “He’s arranged for us to check out some properties and wants me to be part of that decision.”
Aurora’s eyebrows shot up, her mouth forming a perfect O. “Did he propose?”
She shook her head, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks. “But after I met his daughter, Irene, on our third date, he asked if I would be willing to move to the Bay Area with them…and I said yes.”
The sun dipped lower in the sky as she shared her news, casting long shadows over the garden. The vibrant blooms that had trumpeted celebratory moments before now seemed to take on a quieter, more contemplative tone, especially for Lily, whose expression metamorphosed, her earlier glee dissolving into unease.
“Did you forget how much I hated Anita back then? We talked about this when you first met Austin—is that what you want for yourself?” Lily spoke before her filter could engage.
The comparison hit, diminishing Elizabeth and her resolve. She took a deep breath, pulling herself tall as she drew strength from the towering oak trees on campus. “I know it’s difficult, but I love him, and I am going to make it work.”
“You sound like a Taylor Swift song,” Lily scoffed. The memory of her father’s mistress still haunted her.
The sarcasm stung. “Your concern is legit,” Elizabeth acknowledged, her tone unyielding yet tender. “But the situation with Austin is different—his first wife died. I didn’t blow up the family the way Anita did to yours.”
“But what makes you think you can compete with his first wife?” Lily countered, her stare becoming piercing. “Everyone glorifies the dead, remembering no flaws they might have had when they were alive.”
Elizabeth’s heart constricted at the biting critiques. She pivoted to her other best friend. “You know how I feel, right? Don’t you love Chris?”
Aurora’s expression grew pensive, caught somewhere between contemplation and discomfort. “Hmm.” Her voice tapered off as she struggled to find the right language. “I think ‘love’ is a strong word.”
Taken aback by the response, Elizabeth leaned in closer, her pupils dilated with incredulity. “You’ve been with Chris longer than I’ve been with Austin, and yet you still don’t know if you love him?”
“No offence, honey,” Lily nudged, shaking her head as if to dispel an absurd notion. “I find it alarming you’re ready to move to California for a man you’ve dated for only a few months.”
Aurora positioned herself equidistant between them, her palms turned upward in invitation. “Let’s talk about that for a minute,” she suggested. “Why don’t you tell us how you’re so sure of Austin? How’d you know he’s the one?”
Elizabeth’s face transformed, illuminated by an inner glow that seemed to rival the sunlight filtering through the garden canopy. Her eyes luminous, she recounted their first meeting—the destined, fairy-tale-like encounter filling her with transcendent joy.
“I mean . . . for me, it was love at first sight, but he was married when I met him,” she confessed. “And now, against all odds, he’s available again. I wholeheartedly believe it’s meant to be.”
Lily snorted, lips pursed, eyebrows raised. “Well, if you ask me, I think you’re romanticizing everything, and I still think it’s too soon.”
Elizabeth’s radiance hardened into defensiveness, “I’m not asking for permission. I’m asking . . . no, I’m expecting love and support.”
“Well, I can’t be supportive when you’re about to make a big mistake,” she shot back, her pitch sharp.
Aurora, observing the escalating tension, intervened, “May I?”
A sudden stillness fell over them. The distant hum of voices and footsteps faded into the background, leaving only the whisper of wind through the trees. At this moment, the garden held its breath, waiting for the mediator’s incoming pronouncement.
Aurora turned to face the hopeless romantic, her gaze tender and steadfast. “Marry whoever you want and make whatever mistakes you may.”
She then swivelled to the other, her stare a stern, resolute reminder. “Lily will still be there for you, just like how she was there for me when Kevin Hendrickson came along—and that was far worse than any relationship mistake.”
“None of that was your fault.” Lily cut in but was soon quietened.
“Anyway . . . here’s the thing.” Aurora steadied herself, gathering the strength that only came from standing between the two people who knew her completely. Her chin rose with gentle insistence, while her knuckles blanched white. “Before Chris, none of the sex I had was exactly consensual. You both knew. It’s not a secret.”
Then came the unclenching—not of fists, but of a decade-old armour. Her knees buckled, only to find twin anchors: Elizabeth’s arm braced against her spine, Lily’s forehead pressed to her temple.
“I’m sorry I don’t say this enough, but no one, not even Chris, makes me feel safe like the two of you,” she resumed, a brittle smile on her lips. “That’s the love we have for one another, and that’s what I need to remind the both of you.”
The garden fell into a reverent hush, as if paying homage to Aurora’s courage. Lily’s pinky hooked around hers, their longtime signal.
In the wake of such a revelation, so raw and honest, it occurred to Lily that perhaps she had been a little too harsh on Elizabeth. Her earlier friction with her friend started to fade away, replaced by their familiar trinity of comfort.
She cleared her throat softly before breaking the ice, her voice carrying the same gentleness as the garden around them. “You know,” she began, plucking a fallen leaf from the bench and twirling it between her fingers, “I guess it’ll be much easier for us to see each other once you move to the Bay Area . . . only two hours away by plane. Nothing could make me happier knowing you’ll be closer to Vancouver than you are now . . . all the way in Korea.”
Elizabeth blinked, appreciative of the concession. The gesture spoke to their friendship—a bond resilient enough to weather even the stormiest conversations, standing strong in the face of imperfection and disagreement. The distant clock tower’s carillon spilled bronze notes over campus, each chime counting down their remaining shared breaths before continental divides.
Amanda Sung and her unbeatable, kaleidoscopic trio direct their readers into a visual and intimate journey—a book deserving of being taken out of the paper and into a screen.
A breath of fresh air from austere writing—How to Break a Girl offers the sometimes-forgotten masterful detailing that amplifies a poignant story.
In this relatable tale, Sung speaks to us about her profound comprehension of women’s empathetic perspectives in their relationships, letting us all know how understood we are across borders, languages, and ethnicities.
Through Sung’s vivid, unmatched and poignant analogies—and her ingeniously concrete imagery— she proposes her work as a conversation with the readers on how women around the globe, regardless of culture or social status, endure the exact same traumatizing cycles of losing confidence in oneself, lacking trust, and believing that we are uncapable of moving on without a steady relationship awaiting.
How to Break a Girl brings a light to how women regardless of the stage of their life allow themselves to justify their partners and bend over backwards to have a deeper understanding of what sometimes is blatantly superficial—an unreserved observation of behaviors that silently shrink us until we are bare.
The women in this book endure abandonment, abuse, misogyny, and racism and they leave us with lessons about being able to stand on our own two feet first before depositing all our hopes and aspirations on someone else’s bank accounts or selfish decisions.
Sung explicitly and even humorously warns about seeking stability in relationships before knowing our own worth, further elaborating on how doing that distorts the perspective we have of ourselves—the result of which may be turning our purpose to be solely to serve someone. This author reminds us to give value to loving someone simply, unreservedly without forgetting we deserve it, too.
Breaking a girl, according to Sung, is not only about love: she also offers a view of the struggles women go through in male-dominated fields and how this makes it a challenge for a woman to separate her private life from her professional one in the sake of peace of mind.
As a novel starring Asian American women, this work does not fail to critique modern representation and inclusion of people of color and immigration while it explores the damaging views of minorities in history and how we carry so many of them today.
Whereas, historically, women have been victims of so many different kinds of abuse and of being diminished to objects and accessories, Sung does not let us forget that we must be held accountable for our own choices and we, too, are authors of our stories, and more importantly, of our own endings.