an exegisis on the treatment of women in 19th-century Australia

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Genre: historical fiction

Review: Women do not have an easy life in Kline's new novel.  Unless they're rich.  But this novel has very little sympathy for the rich.  Instead, the focus is on the marginalized.  Evangeline is a naïve governess, who finds herself pregnant and accused of stealing a ring (she didn't).  After a stint in Newgate, Evangeline is sentenced to 14 years labor in Australia.  On the months-long voyage, she meets Hazel, a fellow prisoner, and the two become unlikely allies.  Kline does not soften her descriptions of the conditions they faced.  One can almost smell it.

Methinna, an Aboriginal girl who is adopted by the governor's wife to be essentially a talking pet, rounds out our group.  At 11, she's old enough to be somewhat independent, which is good, since no-one exactly takes care of her.  But she learns French and learns how to dance, and is generally considered a marvel of civilization, until, suddenly she isn't.  Unfortunately, she learns the hard way that you can't go home again, although in her case, it's as much to do with the depredations of the British on the Aboriginal way of life than with anything she does.

Evangeline and Hazel are well-realized characters, although in some ways they are mere stand-ins for the idea that women had no power in that era.  But they fill that role more than adequately, not being shy with their desire to be treated with common decency.  Methinna's inclusion in the novel is more curious, as her story barely intersects the other, and her impact on their lives isn't as dramatic as it could be, or vice versa.  It almost seems as though Kline felt she couldn't write a story taking place in Australia at the time without including an Aboriginal voice, a sentiment which I applaud, but I don't think she does that voice much justice here.  For the a fully-told plight of women prisoners sent to the colony, I recommend this book.  For the same of the Aboriginals, one might want to look elsewhere.

A note on the audio: Narrator Christine Lee does a competent job with her narration, with one major flaw.  Two of the characters are described as being quite young, and their youth is such a character trait that it is mentioned repeatedly throughout the narrative.  Unfortunately, Lee's doesn't modulate her voice to reflect that youth, and I constantly had to remind myself that they were both young girls.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book in print, electronic, and audio format from the publisher in exchange for this review.