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“In When in Vanuatu,<\/em> 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<\/strong><\/p>\n “When in Vanuatu<\/i>\u00a0is 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.”<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Jocelyn Eikenburg,\u00a0editor with\u00a0China Daily<\/i>, writer, and popular expat blogger<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n “Chen’s novel is set in the Philippines and in beautiful Vanuatu, the tropical island where James Michener wrote his classic\u00a0Tales of the South Pacific<\/i>. Think swaying palms, pristine beaches and the turquoise waters of the Pacific. I highly recommend\u00a0When in Vanuatu<\/i>\u00a0for those who love to travel, and for those who enjoy reading stories that fascinate.”<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Bo Kearns<\/b>, author of<\/b>\u00a0Ashes in a Coconut<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n “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.”<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Jennifer J. Chow<\/b>, award-winning author of\u00a0The 228 Legacy<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n “Deftly created. . . . In\u00a0When in Vanuatu<\/i>, 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.”<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Sally Stiles<\/b>, author of\u00a0Plunge!<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Like a Mask Dancing<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n “It’s never easy to be a trailing spouse, as Nicki Chen so lovingly shows in\u00a0When in Vanuatu<\/i>. 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.”<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Susan Blumberg-Kason<\/b>, author of\u00a0Good Chinese Wife<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n “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!”<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Kizzie Jones<\/b>, co-project manager and contributor to\u00a0Writing In Place: Prose & Poetry from the Pacific Northwest<\/i>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9194","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P3Kn1e-2oi","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8933,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/q-a-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":0},"title":"A Q & A with Nicki Chen","author":"Nodebud1721","date":"October 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8406,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/when-in-vanuatu-behind-the-novels\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":1},"title":"When in Vanuatu – Behind the Novel","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"September 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I set the novel in two countries I once called home: the Philippines and Vanuatu, island nations that have little else in common besides their islands and the Pacific Ocean. It\u2019s the contrast between them that is at the heart of the novel. The Philippines, with a population of 108\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/airport-to-Manila-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/airport-to-Manila-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/airport-to-Manila-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/airport-to-Manila-001.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8402,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/when-in-vanuatu\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":2},"title":"When in Vanuatu","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"September 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/amazon.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8410,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/book-clubs\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":3},"title":"Book Clubs","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"September 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8449,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/bio\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":4},"title":"Bio","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"September 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Casual-Authro-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Casual-Authro-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Casual-Authro-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Casual-Authro-3.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8969,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/bio-nicki-chen\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":5},"title":"Bio","author":"Nodebud1721","date":"October 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9194"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9339,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9194\/revisions\/9339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}