Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up... with her hardworking single mom, Kerry Chu. Rachel’s father died before she was born and her mom immigrated to the United States from China without any support system. Rachel and her mom were always a team. As a first-generation American, Rachel has been shaped by both her mom’s Chinese heritage and her own American experience.
Living... in New York City.
Visiting... Singapore. Her boyfriend Nick Young invites her to join him on his trip back home, where he’ll be serving as best man in his best friend’s wedding. Rachel’s never been to Singapore before, and she’s never seen anything like the world Nick is about to introduce her to.
Profession... economics professor. She’s NYU’s youngest faculty member, and her lessons are always engaging. She uses a poker game to teach her students about money and psychology.
Interests... food, poker, and mahjong—but especially food. As Rachel notes, “I’m always hungry.”
Relationship Status... happily dating Nick Young. Rachel’s boyfriend is a total dream, but it turns out his family life is a whole lot more complicated than she realized.
Challenge... grappling with the fact that her boyfriend is secretly crazy rich. It turns out that Nick’s old money business mogul family is basically Singaporean royalty. It’s a world of glamour and privilege unlike anything Rachel has ever seen before, and Nick doesn’t do much to prepare her for it, either. There are plenty of challenges, from needing to get a last-minute designer makeover to dealing with gossiping cousins and jealous ex-girlfriends. The biggest challenge is Nick’s mother Eleanor, who’s fiercely protective of her son and incredibly skeptical about Rachel. Thankfully, Rachel has allies in her college friend Peik Lin and Nick’s glamorous cousin Astrid.
Personality... warm, funny, and down-to-Earth. Rachel is a natural people-pleaser, with a warm, funny energy, but she also has a strong backbone too. She won’t compromise herself for anyone and she has the strength to stand up to even the most fearsome opponent. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and the ability to see issues from all sides. She believes in happiness and self-determination, but she also understands the importance of family and duty too. Though her demeanor is frank and down-to-Earth, Rachel always carries herself with poise and dignity.
Get to Know her in...
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An American-born Chinese economics professor accompanies her boyfriend to Singapore for his best friend's wedding—only to get thrust into the lives of Asia's rich and famous.
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New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country's most eligible bachelor. On Nick's arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.
