Exiled South by Harriet Cannon – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Exiled South by Harriet Cannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an enjoyable and engaging novel which had me gripped from start to finish. This historical novel is centred around Lizbeth Gordon, who returns to her childhood home following her husband’s death. Wanting peace and quiet Lizbeth spends her days at her family’s cottage, however when her elderly aunt tells her about some troubling family secrets, she can not help but look into her family’s past. Lizbeth wants to discover the truth behind the rumours, that include, a blockade runner who was hunted as a traitor after the fall of Charleston. Although Lizbeth’s research draws a blank, her interest is renewed when she takes a job at an international school in Rio de Janeiro.

Here she meets a multiethnic descendant of Confederate exiles, who have the Gordon surname, and are able to show Lizbeth some nineteenth-century documents, including letters and a diary. She hopes that her findings will result in a family reconciliation and ultimately healing. This is a wonderfully written novel with a strong, likeable and relatable main character in Lizbeth. The descriptive narrative brought the settings vividly to life making me feel immersed in the story. The historical details added to the sense of the era and show that the novel is well researched. The storyline was intriguing and the exciting plot kept me happily turning the pages, as I could not put this book down.

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