If Everyone Returned, the Island Would Sink: Urbanisation and Migration in Vanuatu, Kirstie Petrou (2020).

This review focuses on Kirstie Petrou’s 2020 book *If Everyone Returned, The Island Would Sink: Urbanisation and Migration in Vanuatu*, which examines rural–urban migration and urban life among Paamese islanders over nearly three decades. Using longitudinal data from the 1980s to 2011, Petrou analyzes continuities in social organization despite migration, differences in urban sociality between first- and second-generation migrants, and evolving gender dynamics, including the increased recognition of women’s roles and changes in marriage practices. The study highlights enduring kinship ties and cultural practices both in Paama’s rural villages and in Port Vila’s urban suburbs, while noting the challenges and nostalgia experienced by migrants. Although based on a single case study, the book offers insights into broader Melanesian migration patterns and calls for further comparative research within the Pacific region.