Dubai 2008. In this multicultural melting pot, six women search for meaning in a life judged by many to be charmed and superficial. As first-timers, lifers and love immigrants operate within the expat bubble a darker side emerges - of culture shock, loss of identity, depression, temptation and grief. Newcomer, Maya, navigates the unfamiliar while the sand beneath Barb's feet begins to shift. Stereotypes are smashed as the reality of life amidst shopping malls and housemaids rises to the surface. As humid days get cooler, the plot deepens and the expats discover what really matters. For Maya the secret lies in the kitchen - a place that is no longer her domain. "As she does in her fabulous non-fiction books, in Sunshine Soup, Jo Parfitt makes the challenges of being a mobile wife ring stunningly true." Robin Pascoe, www.expatexpert.com "An interesting and evocative read. A peep into another world." Anita Burgh, author of 22 bestselling novels including Distinctions of Class, www.anitaburgh.com