Taiwanese-Canadian writer Amanda Sung's debut novel, How to Break a Girl, 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 that's both intimate and relatable.
ThinkSex 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 female 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, from one city to another, 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!
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Amanda Sung is a Taiwanese-Canadian writer who crafts her stories from the inside out—How to Break a Girl, drawn from the scars and triumphs of her own journey as a satellite child growing up in Canada without parents. Her work isn’t just imagined—it’s lived, with each character carrying a piece of her, infused with the hard-won wisdom of a childhood spent navigating displacement and an adulthood forged by survival.
Amanda holds a Bachelor’s in Communication from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Journalism from the University of British Columbia. When she isn’t writing, she can be seen at the gym or cocktail bars. She has also hosted segments for Novus TV and modelled for the Regent Hotel. Be sure to check out her piano covers on Instagram @amandasung!
