The Exiles

Bookseller recommendation

“One of the best books I’ve read this year! This is a meticulously researched historical fiction based on the lives of three women convicted of petty theft in England who are shipped to the convict colony of Australia, never to return to their home country. We also meet a young Aboriginal girl who weaves through this story like a phantom. There are aspects of Les Mis and The Forgotten Garden in this beautiful book. I simply adored it.”

— Elizabeth Barnhill • Fabled Bookshop & Café

Bookseller recommendation

“I just read The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline (the author of Orphan Train) and loved it. We meet three unforgettable characters whose shocking and disquieting paths bring them together in nineteenth-century Australia. Matheinna, an orphaned aboriginal girl, is taken to live with a wealthy couple as an experiment in civilizing natives, which does not go well. Evangeline and Hazel are criminals sent to Australia to finish their sentences, and their trip across the ocean is frightening and unforgettable. The Exiles shows us the strength and power of female friendships, and the will to survive and find a life worth living. I can’t wait for The Exiles to be published this fall so I can recommend it to readers of historical fiction. This will be a novel that people across the world will want to read, or listen to, more than once. It’s that good.”

— Sarah • Loganberry Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This is an amazing book filled with unforgettable characters and an in-depth exploration of a time from history that I have never seen covered before. But listening to it just makes the experience of the story so much richer! The accents, character names, and places, when read by the talented voice actors, make experience so much more vibrant!”

— Kerry • Anderson's Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“To be candid, I sure that The Exiles wasn't going to be my cup of tea. Boy, was I ever wrong. The Exiles is a powerful and unforgettable novel that is beautifully written. I will warn you, some of the scenes portrayed were so raw and haunting that the visuals took a while to leave my mind. But they were warranted and made the story much more believable. The narration was definitely a star in its own right. Every accent was on point. Christine Baker Kline has now become one of my favorite authors. If you enjoy historical fiction with depth this book is for you.”

— Melinda • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Bookseller recommendation

“I loved the theme of this book, shedding some light on Australia’s history. It was a gripping story with themes of feminism, including brilliant twists and turns throughout. The narration as an audiobook was excellent. I was able to visualize the characters so well with the narrator expressing the different accents.”

— Indea • Gold Rush Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“"The Exiles" is a powerful and gorgeously written portrait of colonial Australia during the Transportation. From Evangeline, a pregnant convict determined to make a better life for herself after incarceration, to Mathinna, a Palawa Aborigine forcibly adopted from her home and community in Flinders, and still to so many others, Kline creates a page-turning story about how disempowered women survive the fates bestowed onto them, and effect change both in their lives and those of others. I read between print and audiobook, and must mention that Caroline Lee's mastery of a variety of accents from the British diaspora made the characters all the more distinct and real. She brought Kline's words, already compelling, to life.”

— Cat • Oxford Exchange