Meet Pauline

Posted on April 3, 2023January 25, 2023 by MC

Expat life means many things to Pauline. It’s an adventure. It’s a path to new professional opportunities. It’s a way to fix her strained marriage. She put all these hopes into moving to Nairobi. Things did not go as expected.

Now she’s trying to establish a life in Nairobi. She’s figuring out what to do about her marriage. She’s working as hard as she can to get her career back on track. But one thing after another keeps going wrong.

Pauline is struggling.

Expat life doesn’t always go as planned and isn’t always what you think it’ll be.

Meet Tilly

Posted on March 20, 2023January 25, 2023 by MC

Tilly and her family have been expats for ages. Nairobi was meant to be a two-year post, just the next stop in their many adventures abroad. Somehow, two years turned into nine without her even noticing it. She loves Nairobi, as do her husband and their three sons.

She stopped thinking of Kenya as a new, exotic location years ago. It’s just where she lives. She has practically become a local and her life is fully enmeshed in Nairobi. She hasn’t even thought about the next move, until now.

She’s ready for a new career, but is it worth exploring if they have to move in a year or two? Part of expat life is knowing that you have to leave at some point. But what if she doesn’t want to say goodbye? Could she stay?

Meet Zara

Posted on March 6, 2023January 25, 2023 by MC

Zara loves her job in child protection services. She believes in the work and is passionate about helping and protecting children. But, after many years in the field, she has grown tired of going from assignment to assignment every year or two. She hopes she’ll be able to find something solid in Nairobi, where she was supposed to be instead of shuttling back and forth to Mogadishu.

She’s ready to settle down. She wants to stay in one place long enough to make a real difference. That’s her ndoto, her dream.

Inspiration for Nairobi Ndoto

Posted on September 19, 2022 by MC

Nairobi Ndoto is by no means a memoir. But aspects of my life in Kenya definitely inspired parts of the story. The fantastic weather, the abundant nature, the crazy weather, and the matatus are all real. Here’s a little taste of the elements of my Nairobi life that pop up in the novel:

Launch Day!

Posted on September 15, 2022September 16, 2022 by MC

Nairobi Ndoto is now available!

The novel is about three expatriate women who find their ndoto—the Swahili word for dreams—have become a nightmare when their world is thrown into turmoil by murder. Tilly, Pauline, and Zara each dreamed of a life abroad in Kenya filled with adventure, opportunities, and new beginnings. Reality didn’t match the dream.

If you’re interested in the story and want to check out the book, you can get it in ebook and paperback formats through Apple Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Thalia, and more. You can also order it through your local bookstore.