When in Vanuatu: A Novel

(Paperback)

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For readers who liked . . . :The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, or The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. Award-winning author: The authors debut novel, Tiger Tail Soup (Dog Ear Press, 2014), was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards and the winner of the Chaucer Award, Chanticleer Writing Competition. Unique setting: This books settingin a small South Pacific nation and in the Philippinesis unusual, and will pique reader interest. Established readership: The author has an established readership through her long running blog, Behind the Story.

Reviews

2021 IPPY Awards Bronze Winner in Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Rim - Best Regional Fiction

"As warm as a South Pacific sunrise, Chen's novel is a breath of fresh, tropical air."
--Booklist

"An inherently absorbing novel that showcases author Nicki Chen's impressive flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling talent and style that will hold the reader's rapt attention from first page to last . . ."
--Midwest Book Review

"When in Vanuatu is a compassionate and moving portrayal of a trailing spouse that challenges the notion of an idyllic and carefree married life abroad, and proves that paradise lies in the healing ties that bind us together."
--Jocelyn Eikenburg, editor with China Daily, writer, and popular expat blogger

"Chen's novel is set in the Philippines and in beautiful Vanuatu, the tropical island where James Michener wrote his classic Tales of the South Pacific. Think swaying palms, pristine beaches and the turquoise waters of the Pacific. I highly recommend When in Vanuatu for those who love to travel, and for those who enjoy reading stories that fascinate."
--Bo Kearns, author of Ashes in a Coconut

"A piercing insider's view into the expat life in far-flung locations. This quiet novel exposes the pain of infertility, following Diana on a turbulent journey of personal transformation."
--Jennifer J. Chow, award-winning author of The 228 Legacy

"Deftly created. . . . In When in Vanuatu, you will meet a fascinating international community of men and women intent on contributing to global development despite significant obstacles, both at work and in the homes they endeavor to create in a distant land. Enlightening and captivating."
--Sally Stiles, author of Plunge! and Like a Mask Dancing

"It's never easy to be a trailing spouse, as Nicki Chen so lovingly shows in When in Vanuatu. Whether in the Philippines or the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, both in times of political upheaval, Chen tells of the often unspoken hardships and heartbreaks of finding home and family in a new land."
--Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife

"Once again, author Nicki Chen demonstrates her mastery of writing place and characterization. Having been an expat living in foreign countries as a young wife, I resonated with many of the opportunities and challenges Chen portrays. Give yourself the gift of peeking into not only the life of the protagonist, Diana, but also her community of friends, and the unique cultures of the Philippines and Vanuatu!"
--Kizzie Jones, co-project manager and contributor to Writing In Place: Prose & Poetry from the Pacific Northwest

"In When in Vanuatu, Nicki Chen explores exotic locales and universal struggles. In this moving, fast-flowing novel, Diana's experiences in the Philippines and Vanuatu illuminate challenges of friendship, marriage, identity, and family that so many women, at home and abroad, face. It's ideal for book clubs or anyone who would want to read a modern, feminist Graham Greene."
--Tegan Tigani, Queene Anne Book Company

Author Bio

Nicki Chen is the author of two novels, Tiger Tail Soup and When in Vanuatu, the latter of which grew out of her experiences during the twenty years she lived with her husband and their three daughters in the Philippines and the South Pacific. She currently lives in Edmonds, WA, a sometimes rainy, always beautiful little city overlooking Puget Sound.