The Exiles
Book Review - The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
I’m a longtime fan of Christina Baker Kline novels. I read (loved) and wrote reviews for Orphan Train and A Piece of The World starting back in 2016. She was one of the first authors I interviewed, before I had my signature interview style and I was interviewing with novel-specific questions. Which makes me think, I need to invite her back for another interview, don’t you agree? :) I wasn’t sure Christina would be able to top A Piece of The World, which I especially liked because it was about painter Andrew Wyeth and the lesser-known subject of the painting, Christina Olson. And you guys know books about creative people are my favorites!
Book Review - The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
Based on the subject alone, The Exiles isn’t a book I would normally gravitate towards. It is about three women in nineteenth-century Australia: an orphaned Aboriginal girl and two English convicts sentenced to serve their time in an Australian prison. I knew just enough about this part of history to know that the stories are dark and heartbreaking. But I will read anything written by Christina Baker Kline, so I didn’t think twice about agreeing to read and review this book.
Book Review - The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
Yes, the stories are heartbreaking. History is heartbreaking, there is no getting around that. But people are resilient and women are strong and Christina Baker Kline has a way of weaving stories together that are just irresistible. I couldn’t put this book down, the characters wiggled their way into my heart and my head and I’ve been thinking about them long after I read the last page. The Exiles is beautifully written and captivating (even when you don’t think you’re interested in the subject.)
Book Review - The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
