Far across the Pacific the tales of WILD VANILLA sail. From Sydney to Suva, Samoa and Guam, they drop anchor in Tarawa, Tuvalu and Tanna, tie up in Honiara, Papeete and the Marquesas. In WILD VANILLA Fijian writer Peter Thomson delivers on the promise of his prize-winning book KAVA IN THE BLOOD. Here is a compelling collection of deeply personal stories of Fiji coups d'etat, cargo cults and the bitter-sweet cut of island heritage, told through the wanderings of beachcombers, shipwrecked writers, and the companionship of fellow travellers. A fifth generation Fijian of Scottish descent, Peter Thomson has divided his life between public service and the pursuit of creative endeavors, including writing. Born in Suva, Fiji in 1948, he joined the Fiji civil service in 1972 and has worked in the fields of rural development, investment promotion and diplomacy. He is currently living in New York, where he serves as Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He is the author of the prize-winning book Kava in the Blood and is the publisher of the pictorial book Fiji in the Forties and Fifties. He married Marijcke Thomson in Suva in 1973. They have a son, James, daughter, Nicola, and three grand-daughters.