China Blonde
How a newsreader’s search for adventure led to friendship, acceptance … and peroxide pandemonium in China
Written by Nicole Webb
Edited and produced by Broadcast Books
From a TV newsreader in Sydney to a hotelier’s wife in the heart of China – this is a true story of reinvention, love, and finding your place in the world.
Nicole Webb and her husband, James, are always up for an adventure, so when James is offered a job in the ancient city of Xi’an in north-west China, they jump at the chance. Nicole, James and three-year-old Ava pack up their home in Hong Kong and fly into a world they know nothing about -- a place where they know no one.
Touching down, culture shock hits Nicole head on. It feels as if all eyes are on her and Ava, the only blondes in the jam-packed arrivals hall, two foreigners, so far from home.
With honesty and humour, Nicole takes us on a journey of daily life in the Middle Kingdom at a time when the whole world is looking towards China.
We follow her search for friendship and acceptance where she discovers, no matter what your culture or background, we’re connected the world over by the common thread of humanity.
China Blonde gives us a very personal insight, told with a journalist’s eye view, into the lives of those who embraced Nicole with open arms. Her experience along the way will resonate with anyone who’s ever built a life in a new home – be it across the city or across the world.
Over the last two and a half years, Bernadette has become my mentor, my coach, my editor and my agent. My person. You said you’d stick with me until the end, and just when we thought we’d exhausted all our opportunities, in a wonderful moment of synchronicity, along came Jon MacDonald. A man who instantly understood me, believed in me and knew where I needed to go and how to get there. Thank you both for guiding me through this entire process. Nicole Webb
To order a copy of China Blonde visit Nicole Webb Online or Booktopia.