Exiled South by Harriet Cannon – Review by Sarah King

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

Exiled South by Harriet Cannon is a well written, touching story of Lizbeth Gordon trying to move forward. The story begins with Lizbeth losing her husband and soon after discovering truths that her husband had kept hidden from her. Needing to get away from it all, she quits her job, puts her application in with The International School Educator, a publication of oversea postings, and then the moves from the Pacific Northwest back home to South Carolina. Once she is home she takes time to mourn, then starts to put her life back together. Family stories and local history is something Lizbeth grew up listening to. As she is returning to herself she becomes more interested in digging into her family history. She continues to do this even after she accepts a job posting in Rio. As the stories of her family’s history become clear, Lizbeth seeks out information on the missing branches. Throughout this whole experience she is coming back to herself, starting a new career, rebuilding family bridges, and finding love again.
I truly enjoyed this story and would recommend reading it. I would note that there is a short rape scene that may be a trigger for some. I believe that you would be able to skip the pages detailing it and be able to continue the story though. I loved the way so many emotions and life experiences are written into the story. The heritage and generational stories, good and bad, that are found and passed on to Lizbeth on her journey. I enjoyed the way some of the stories were written as though you were reading it directly from the ancestor’s point of view This journey is a second chance to understand and accept her heritage, find lost family and develop new relationships.

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