Is Expats based on a book?

There’s a new Amazon Original Series hitting our screens at the end of the week. It’s all about Expats, starring Nicole Kidman.

Of course, before we get into a new series now, we want to know if it’s based on other content. A lot of shows and movies are adaptations of books, especially when they involve Kidman in recent years.

Is that the case for Expats? Is there a book that you’ll want to read first?

Expats is based on a book

Yes, there is some source material for the series. Expats is based on The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee.

The novel focuses on three main characters, all women at different points in their life who end up in a chance meeting together. We follow Mercy, a young Korean American woman who is adrift after graduating Columbia. A terrible incident in her past has left her lost.

Meanwhile, Margaret is drowning in questions about her maternal identity. She was a happily married mother of three, but a shattering loss changed everything and now she needs to figure out her new life.

Then there’s Hilary, a wealthy housewife who wants one thing: a child. She’s sure this could be the key to saving her failing marriage, but is it really all that wise to bring a child in before fixing the problems?

The three women’s lives end up colliding. Now they need to face their pasts and face the consequences of their past actions.

The novel itself is worth reading, even if you are or aren’t planning on watching Expats. It’s one of those stories that pulls you in and makes you feel part of the experiences that these women are going through. If you’ve moved countries in the past, you’ll certainly understand some of the extra layers of being expatriates.

Expats will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, Jan. 26.