Release Date: April 27, 2021
About The Book:
When Diana quit her job and followed her husband to Manila, she believed the move would work for both of them: Jay would finally have his dream job, and she would take time off from her accounting career to start a family.
Four years later, however, she’s still not pregnant. Her fertility doctor advises her to relax―an undertaking that is easier said than done in one of the noisiest, most crowded cities in the world. Nevertheless, Diana tries. She takes up yoga and meditation. She buys goldfish. Then one day, while Jay is away on business, a violent coup d’etat erupts. The rebels bomb the presidential palace and occupy parts of the city.
Clearly, Diana decides, something needs to change. Determined to have a baby while she’s still young enough, she convinces Jay to transfer to the small South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, said to be “the most relaxing place on earth.” It isn’t long before she realizes that the island’s tropical beauty hides dangers and disappointments that will test her courage, her marriage, and her ability to open herself up to new possibilities. www.nickichenwrites.com
Review
Diana has quit her job and followed her husband, Jay, to the Philippines. Jay has landed his dream job. These two build a unique life in this island paradise. However, Diana is obsessed with having a baby, so much so, it creates stress and anxiety for everyone. Will their marriage survive?
I loved the setting of this read! The author did an amazing job! I felt like I was right there seeing the views and smelling all the different aromas. The Philippines are now on my bucket list.
I did find Diana’s obsession and attitude a bit high-handed and overbearing. But, the story just keeps changing and the reader just can’t help but be captivated.
Need a good escape read….this is it! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the author for a honest review.
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About The Author:
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.
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NickiChenAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiChenAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolechen3138/
Book Blurbs:
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
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