The Exiles: A Novel
- ISBN-10
- 0062356356
- ISBN-13
- 9780062356352
- Series
- The Exiles
- Category
- Fiction
- Pages
- 384
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2020-08-25
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Author
- Christina Baker Kline
Description
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER OPTIONED FOR TELEVISION BY BRUNA PAPANDREA, THE PRODUCER OF HBO'S BIG LITTLE LIES “A tour de force of original thought, imagination and promise … Kline takes full advantage of fiction — its freedom to create compelling characters who fully illuminate monumental events to make history accessible and forever etched in our minds." — Houston Chronicle The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Orphan Train returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant novel about three women whose lives are bound together in nineteenth-century Australia and the hardships they weather together as they fight for redemption and freedom in a new society. Seduced by her employer’s son, Evangeline, a naïve young governess in early nineteenth-century London, is discharged when her pregnancy is discovered and sent to the notorious Newgate Prison. After months in the fetid, overcrowded jail, she learns she is sentenced to “the land beyond the seas,” Van Diemen’s Land, a penal colony in Australia. Though uncertain of what awaits, Evangeline knows one thing: the child she carries will be born on the months-long voyage to this distant land. During the journey on a repurposed slave ship, the Medea, Evangeline strikes up a friendship with Hazel, a girl little older than her former pupils who was sentenced to seven years transport for stealing a silver spoon. Canny where Evangeline is guileless, Hazel—a skilled midwife and herbalist—is soon offering home remedies to both prisoners and sailors in return for a variety of favors. Though Australia has been home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years, the British government in the 1840s considers its fledgling colony uninhabited and unsettled, and views the natives as an unpleasant nuisance. By the time the Medea arrives, many of them have been forcibly relocated, their land seized by white colonists. One of these relocated people is Mathinna, the orphaned daughter of the Chief of the Lowreenne tribe, who has been adopted by the new governor of Van Diemen’s Land. In this gorgeous novel, Christina Baker Kline brilliantly recreates the beginnings of a new society in a beautiful and challenging land, telling the story of Australia from a fresh perspective, through the experiences of Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna. While life in Australia is punishing and often brutally unfair, it is also, for some, an opportunity: for redemption, for a new way of life, for unimagined freedom. Told in exquisite detail and incisive prose, The Exiles is a story of grace born from hardship, the unbreakable bonds of female friendships, and the unfettering of legacy.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2020-08-25
- 384 pages
- Paperback
- Allison & Busby Ltd
Similar books
-
Exiles: A Novel
By Ron HansenWith Exiles, Ron Hansen tells the story of a notorious shipwreck that prompted Gerard Manley Hopkins to break years of "elected silence" with an outpouring of dazzling poetry.
-
City of Exiles
By Alec Nevala-LeeIn the lightning-paced sequel to The Icon Thief, Europe’s turbulent past and terrifying future are set to collide in the streets and prisons of London—and beyond.
-
Kingdom of Exiles
By Maxym M. Martineau"Lush world-building and intoxicating magic"—Entertainment Weekly "A sweeping swords-and-sorcery romance"—The New York Times Assassin's Creed meets Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in this gripping, epic fantasy romance.
-
The Exiles Return: A Novel
By Elisabeth de WaalIn post-World War II Vienna, a group of people return home 15 years after being exiled by Hitler's deadly reign and must rebuild their lives and relearn their identities while the city does the same. 40,000 first printing.
-
Orphan Train: A Novel
By Christina Baker KlineMoving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful tale of upheaval and resilience, second chances, and unexpected friendship.
-
A Piece of the World: A Novel
By Christina Baker KlineTold in evocative and lucid prose, A Piece of the World is a story about the burdens and blessings of family history, and how artist and muse can come together to forge a new and timeless legacy.
-
Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon
By David Kinnaman, Aly Hawkins, Mark MatlockEssential reading for all Christian leaders."--CBA Retailers "An engaging, challenging, and morally compelling study."--Library Journal "This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility.
-
Island of Exiles
By I. J. ParkerIn I.J. Parker's newest mystery set in eleventh-century Japan, Akitada disguises himself as a prisoner to solve the, murder of a prince As her audience grows with each evocative historical thriller featuring Sugawara Akitada, I. J. Parker ...
-
The Last Exiles: A Novel
By Ann ShinWINNER OF THE TRILLIUM AWARD An unforgettable saga inspired by true events, The Last Exiles is a searing portrait of a young couple in North Korea and their fight for love and freedom Jin and Suja meet and fall in love while studying at ...
-
Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World
By Maya JasanoffA global history of the post-Revolutionary War exodus of 60,000 Americans loyal to the British Empire to such regions as Canada, India and Sierra Leone traces the experiences of specific individuals while challenging popular conceptions ...