ANINSTANTNEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLEROPTIONEDFORTELEVISIONBYBRUNAPAPANDREA,THEPRODUCEROFHBO’SBIGLITTLELIES“Atourdeforceoforiginalthought,imaginationandpromise...Klinetakesfulladvantageoffiction--itsfreedomtocreatecompellingcharacterswhofullyilluminatemonumentaleventstomakehistoryaccessibleandforeveretchedinourminds.“--HoustonChronicleTheauthorofthe#1NewYorkTimesbestsellerOrphanTrainreturnswithanambitious,emotionallyresonantnovelaboutthreewomenwhoselivesareboundtogetherinnineteenth-centuryAustraliaandthehardshipstheyweathertogetherastheyfightforredemptionandfreedominanewsociety.Seducedbyheremployer’sson,Evangeline,ana簿veyounggovernessinearlynineteenth-centuryLondon,isdischargedwhenherpregnancyisdiscoveredandsenttothenotoriousNewgatePrison.Aftermonthsinthefetid,overcrowdedjail,shelearnssheissentencedto“thelandbeyondtheseas,“VanDiemen’sLand,apenalcolonyinAustralia.Thoughuncertainofwhatawaits,Evangelineknowsonething:thechildshecarrieswillbebornonthemonths-longvoyagetothisdistantland.Duringthejourneyonarepurposedslaveship,theMedea,EvangelinestrikesupafriendshipwithHazel,agirllittleolderthanherformerpupilswhowassentencedtosevenyearstransportforstealingasilverspoon.CannywhereEvangelineisguileless,Hazel--askilledmidwifeandherbalist--issoonofferinghomeremediestobothprisonersandsailorsinreturnforavarietyoffavors.ThoughAustraliahasbeenhometoAboriginalpeopleformorethan50,000years,theBritishgovernmentinthe1840sconsidersitsfledglingcolonyuninhabitedandunsettled,andviewsthenativesasanunpleasantnuisance.BythetimetheMedeaarrives,manyofthemhavebeenforciblyrelocated,theirlandseizedbywhitecolonists.OneoftheserelocatedpeopleisMathinna,theorphaneddaughteroftheChiefoftheLowreennetribe,whohasbeenadoptedbythenewgovernorofVanDiemen’sLand.Inthisgorgeousnovel,ChristinaBakerKlinebrilliantlyrecreatesthebeginningsofanewsocietyinabeautifulandchallengingland,tellingthestoryofAustraliafromafreshperspective,throughtheexperiencesofEvangeline,Hazel,andMathinna.WhilelifeinAustraliaispunishingandoftenbrutallyunfair,itisalso,forsome,anopportunity:forredemption,foranewwayoflife,forunimaginedfreedom.Toldinexquisitedetailandincisiveprose,TheExilesisastoryofgracebornfromhardship,theunbreakablebondsoffemalefriendships,andtheunfetteringoflegacy.
