07/09/2025
Question: What inspired "A Beautiful Injustice"?
Answer: The idea wasn’t originally intended to start a novel, it was simply a question with which I jumped down a rabbit hole.
While researching for another story I’m writing called “The Lucky Lawyer”, I got sidetracked by a legal question that connected to my university studies and career experiences and had nothing to do with the project I was working on. I dove down deep, researching professional licensing law and scopes of practice. I guess you could say I let the intrusive thought win.
The questions didn't just come randomly though. Years ago, I worked as a career services advisor at the Utah College of Massage Therapy and Steiner Institute of Esthetics in Salt Lake City, Utah. My role gave me a close-up look at these wellness and beauty industries, I even got some experience as a “body” for students to practice on (I know, tough life). Fast forward to my acupuncture background, I found myself re-examining those industries, Tennessee state licensing laws, and ethics, especially as they apply to practices like tui na, and aesthetics.
I found myself asking: Why can I do tui na, but can’t call it massage? Why can aesthaticians do massage, and where is the limit of their scope? Does the same apply to other industries like physical therapists and chiropractors? What would happen if someone wants to help others, but the system says they can’t, even if they’re qualified? About the time that forth question entered my mind, a character also appeared, who eventually became Nadia.
Nadia is a young Syrian woman whose life is shaped by hopeful ambition, war, loss, and resilience. She escapes Syria during a time of civil war, finding refuge in Tennessee, and tries to rebuild her life. Unable to gain a license in her professional field, she’s forced to find another avenue, which she believes is legitimate, but ends up in court, standing the trial for doing what she felt was legal.
This story's conception began with a question but expanded into something deeper, a beautiful story of injustice, identity, healing, and survival.
“A Beautiful Injustice” isn’t just another story to entertain, it's a message about humanity.